Yogi the bear, a longtime resident of John Ball Zoo in Michigan, has died. (John Ball Zoo)
Grand Rapids, Mich.
A longtime resident at a Michigan zoo has died.
According to the John Ball Zoo, a 31-year-old North American brown bear named Yogi died this week after battling arthritis.
Zoo officials said the disease had caused him discomfort and severe mobility issues.
“Yogi far exceeded his life expectancy over the years, but he developed arthritis. Yogi began experiencing severe mobility issues and the ability to regain control of Yogi’s discomfort was no longer a realistic solution,” the zoo shared.
The animal care team called Yogi a gentle giant. He was part of the zoo family since 1994 after coming from Yellowstone National Park.
“He was brought here due to repeated human area conflict and would have been euthanized if no suitable placement was found,” the zoo said.
Zoo officials said Yogi was a joy to work with. They said Yogi’s favorite day of the week was bone day.
“He would pass up his dinner and any sweet snack we had for him, and he would be busy chewing until all the meat was gone,” the animal care team shared.
In honor of Yogi, the zoo said it is hosting a teddy bear drive.
One of his keepers, Jaime, said she worked with Yogi for 13 years and she wanted to celebrate him.
“With such a large impact on our community, and especially on his animal care team, I really wanted to find a meaningful way to celebrate such a special bear,” she said.
Jaime added, “A teddy bear drive would be the perfect way to remember him and provide for kids who need a buddy!”
According to the zoo, they are accepting stuffed animal donations until Oct. 19 and all items will go to the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.