The Maine Wildlife Park in Gray says Suzie the bear, a popular attraction there, has died.
Caretakers say she came to the park in 1995 after not being able to survive in the wild.
Suszie was 30 years old, which is the high end for black bear life expectancy.
The Wildlife Park says old age triggered a recent decline in her mobility and health condition heading into winter.
The park says Suzie wasn’t big for a black bear but always had a “bear boss attitude.”
They say Suzie’s favorite pastime was splashing in her pool and taking a warm nap in the sun.
“Her more delicate side came out during snack time,” the Wildlife Park said in a statement. “She was known to pluck grapes from a bunch one at a time with her dexterous lips and had a funny habit of balancing snacks on the back of her paws to nibble at daintily.”
The Maine Wildlife Park houses 30 species of animals that cannot be released into the wild, according to their website.
