El Paso Zoo says goodbye to beloved Andean Bear

The El Paso Zoo decided humane euthanasia was the best course of action for Guapo, an Andean bear suffering the age-related effects of arthritis.

The zoo keeper and veterinary staff determined Guapo’s quality of life was quickly declining. “Eventually we run out of reasonable options and have to give them a humane and compassionate way out,” said Zoo Veterinarian Dr. Victoria Milne.

The 28-year-old bear had been receiving treatment for arthritis for about a year-and-a-half, which initially showed promising success. Within the last couple of weeks, however, zoo staff noticed Guapo was not enjoying his exhibit like he usually did.

“With many of our geriatric residents at the Zoo, we have to manage problems that we know will never go away and will be progressive over time. Keeping them as comfortable and active as possible is our goal, and Guapo was still enjoying life up until these last few days,” said Milne.

Born at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington D.C., Guapo came to the El Paso Zoo in 2009. Guapo was also a cancer survivor.

“He was good natured and very mellow. It was a pleasure to have cared for Guapo. He will be missed,” said Area Supervisor Tony Zydonyk. “Guapo loved his pool, had a favorite place to sleep and loved training sessions with his zoo keepers because he got treats. Guapo was food motivated and loved his enrichment. He would work on an enrichment toy all day if he had to in order to get all the treats out.”

Median life expectancy for Andean bears is 26 years in a zoo setting. The only bear native to South America, Andean bears, also known as spectacled bears, are found in the mountainous regions of western Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.

Zoo officials said the Andean bear population has suffered a dramatic decline due to deforestation over the past several decades and are listed as “vulnerable” in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and are a part of the AZA Species Survival Plan (SSP) Program.