BARTON COUNTY — A Kansas zoo in mourning the loss of a popular Grizzly Bear.
Max the Grizzly Bear has called the Brit Spaugh Zoo in Great Bend home since he arrived back in 1991, according to a media release from the zoo.
Max was known as a nuisance bear around Yellowstone National Park, unfortunately, relocation of bears doesn't generally work and they become habitual offenders.
Max's options were to be placed at a facility or euthanized, so he moved to the zoo to have a safe landing. Max was a few years old when he was brought to the zoo, so he is estimated to be 37-40 years old. Bears in the wild have an average lifespan of 22-25 years due to human-bear conflicts, habitat loss, and altercations with younger bears.
Max passed away on Tuesday due to age related health conditions including heart and liver issues. Samples were sent to K-State Veterinary Lab for additional testing, but results can take many weeks to receive. Max has been treated for his arthritis for many years, but as with all of us, age catches up and he was having a harder time moving around normally.
Max was a longtime companion for Maggie, who was also known as Bear 60. She was featured in TIME magazine in the 1980's as she was a habitual offender for raiding trash cans. She was sent to a former WWII internment camp where researchers were testing for effective deterrents to avoid human-bear conflicts.
They discovered capsaicin (bear spray) was effective. She was then allowed to move to safe place and called Great Bend home where she lived the remainder of her life.
Max has been a fixture of the zoo and visitors and staff fondly remember him for his love of apples and in his younger years you could count on him to give you a wave for a snack. He loved to take naps, swim in his pool and play with his rubber ducky, Gabe.
In his senior years, staff made sure to spoil him extra and provide him with regular apple pie offerings. His advanced age is a true testament to the care our staff provided to him over the years and he will be greatly missed. Please keep our staff in your thoughts as we go through this difficult time.