PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Zoo has announced that one of its black bears, Takoda, died unexpectedly during a routine medical exam on Friday.
Takoda went into cardiac arrest while under anesthesia for a health check and the vet staff were unable to revive him despite performing CPR for more than half an hour, according to a news release from the zoo.
"It is just devastating for the zoo staff and really the entire zoo community," Travis Koons, who oversees the zoo’s Great Northwest area, said in a statement. "Takoda brought so much joy. He was the life and spirit not only of the group of black bears but also the care staff. He was loved by everyone — from the older bears who adopted him into their group to the keepers who cared for him every day to thousands of fans on social media. It is heartbreaking."
Takoda was the youngest of the zoo's black bears and arrived as a cub in November 2010. He was orphaned in Montana and nursed back to health by wildlife officials, but could not be released back into the wild and was moved to the Oregon Zoo.
In the years before he grew to full adult size, he was known for climbing high up on the 50-foot Douglas fir tree in the black bear habitat to forage for new growth near the top.
"It was breathtaking to see a 400-pound bear so high up in one of those giant trees," Koons said. "A little scary for us, to be honest, but black bears are natural climbers."
He was also known for playfully splashing around and relaxing in a 300-gallon tub on hot summer days.
The name Takoda means "friend to call" in Sioux, according to the zoo.
