Republished March 07, 2018 - 11:00 AM
Original Publication Date March 07, 2018 - 8:46 AM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - A beloved polar bear has died at the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, New York.
Director Larry Sorel says the loss of 28-year-old Aurora is "difficult for the entire zoo family."
Zoo Society President Pamela Reed Sanchez says Aurora was "an extraordinary ambassador" for her "vulnerable species."
Aurora was born at Utah's Hogle Zoo in 1989 and arrived at Seneca Park Zoo in 1991.
She had severe liver disease, and her condition worsened quickly.
The zoo's director of animal health and conservation says that's not uncommon. Dr. Louis DiVincenti says the Polar Bear Species Survival Plan is working to find out what leads to the animals' tendency for liver and gall bladder disease.
Despite her illness, Aurora surpassed the life expectancy for a female polar bear by four years.
News from © The Associated Press, 2018