Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is saddened to announce the death of its 27-year-old male grizzly bear.
"Warren" was found dead in his night quarters by keepers early this morning
Preliminary results of the necropsy (animal autopsy) performed by the Zoo's veterinary care staff indicate Warren died from complications following a medical procedure on March 29 to remove a testicular tumor.
Warren was born at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in 1984 and weighed about 920 pounds. He shared his exhibit in Northern Trek with his father, Lester, who died in October 2010. Grizzly bears in the wild have an average life expectancy of 20-30 years and typically live a few years longer in captivity.
Once widespread throughout western Canada, Alaska and the western United States, grizzly bears have since retreated to the north, with very few left in the contiguous U.S. outside of Yellowstone National Park, where their numbers are slowly increasing.