Aged grizzly bear at Houston Zoo euthanized

Image 1 of / 54 Caption Close Aged grizzly bear at Houston Zoo euthanized 1 / 54 Back to Gallery

Monday morning Bailey the grizzly bear, a longtime staple at the Houston Zoo, was euthanized after zoo doctors made the difficult decision to end the life of elderly bear.

Bailey’s brother Boomer was euthanized earlier this year. The pair were born in 1980 and came to the Houston Zoo in 2007 after being placed in the care of the Houston SPCA. The two had been in private captivity and not being taking care of correctly.

The pair were said to be suffering from chronic arthritis as of late. Bailey had been receiving arthritis care since he came to the zoo.

The zoo had done everything it could to keep Bailey and Boomer comfortable, they said Monday in a statement.

“In addition to administering pain medication, keepers worked hard to modify Bailey’s habitat with hopes of alleviating pain in his movements. This included re-sloping areas of the bear exhibit to reduce strain on Bailey’s joints and adding sand to bedding,” the zoo’s Ryan Draper wrote Monday.

The pair were the last grizzly bears at the Houston Zoo. The zoo has an Andean bear, Patty, and two California black bears, Willow and Belle.