SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A Utah zoo says it has euthanized Rizzo the polar bear, who was suffering from kidney failure.
The Hogle Zoo said Sunday that the 19-year-old female died comfortably and pain free.
The zoo says it decided to put her down because her condition continued to worsen.
Officials first announced Saturday that they were monitoring the dying polar bear.
Veterinarians noticed she was lethargic and having trouble eating.
A check of Rizzo’s blood, abdomen and gastrointestinal tract showed the renal failure, a common condition in older polar bears.
The zoo says it will conduct a necropsy.
The median life expectancy for an animal like Rizzo is about 24 years.
Rizzo has been at the zoo since 2012 as part of its Rocky Shores breeding and conservation facility.
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