Asheboro, NC – On October 25, a polar bear named Payton died unexpectedly during a transfer from the North Carolina Zoo to the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky. According to a release from the North Carolina Zoo, Payton was being transferred to the Louisville Zoo as part of a polar bear breeding partnership.
According to the release, Payton was accompanied by an experienced care team that performed regular checks during the journey. When they were less than two hours away from the North Carolina Zoo, the team found Payton non-responsive. Payton was immediately transferred to a large animal veterinarian who confirmed that he had passed away.
Payton’s body was transferred back to the North Carolina Zoo for a necropsy to help determine his cause of death. According to Dr. Jb Minter, the Zoo’s Director of Animal Health, “The necropsy indicated some evidence of cardiac disease, a tumor on his adrenal gland as well as some moderate osteoarthritis in keeping with his advanced age. Tissue samples will be sent to outside laboratories for further testing to help determine the cause of his death.”
Polar bear keeper Melissa Vindigni reminisced about the bear who had been at the zoo since January 2021,
“He was the best boy bear. His trust was worth the effort to earn and it was a privilege and honor to have earned that. He loved training and interacting with his keepers and vet techs and his trust in us really shined with his willingness to work with us on his own health care. I learned so much from him and I was blessed to work with him. I will never forget the things he taught me.”
Zoo staff is devastated by Payton’s death and grief counselors have been called to the site to assist.
Rest in peace Payton.
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