This undated photo provided by the Philadelphia Zoo shows an Asiatic black bear named Ben, born in August 1994 at the Natural Bridge Park in Natural Bridge, Va., and transferred to the Philadelphia Zoo in April 2002. The bear was euthanized Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017, after developing skin cancer that spread, according to the Philadelphia Zoo. (Philadelphia Zoo via AP)
Republished November 09, 2017 - 8:41 AM
Original Publication Date November 09, 2017 - 4:51 AM
PHILADELPHIA - One of the Philadelphia Zoo's most popular animals has died.
The zoo says Ben, an Asiatic black bear, was euthanized Wednesday. The 23-year-old bear had skin cancer that had spread.
Ben was born at Natural Bridge Zoological Park in Virginia in 1994. The bear had been at the Philadelphia Zoo since 2002.
The zoo says in a Facebook post that Ben "was one of the most beloved and most popular animals among zoo staff and guests alike."
News from © The Associated Press, 2017