Copenhagen: Young polar bear Inuq died of electrocution

8.3.2023 – Source: Copenhagen Zoo

Very sad news from Copenhagen. The zoo has only informed that the young bear was 4 years old so she should be Lynn’s daughter Imaq. I’ll let you know if I’m wrong.

This is the information from the Zoo:

A young polar bear died of electrocution after biting through a power cable. She was found dead with the cable m her mouth.

The accident occurred late on Tuesday afternoon when the young polar bear managed to break open a steel gate in the outdoor enclosure. In the process, she came across a cable in an installation cabinet, which she bit and suffered a blow.

“Polar bears are very curious and strong animals. Unfortunately, in this case it had fatal consequences,” says Mads Frost Bertelsen.

The zoo director regrets the incident and is very sad. Mads Frost Bertelsen explains that the accident occurred in the “polar ring”, where the polar bear cub forced its way into a small cavity.

The zoo director calls it “terribly unfortunate” that the polar bear managed to open the lock and grab the cable. Unfortunately, it bit into the cable and died on the spot because it was found with the cable in its mouth, says Mads Frost Bertelsen.

With the loss, the zoo now has three polar bears left. The zoo has never experienced anything like this in the ten-year history of the polar ring and will now review the installations in the polar bear enclosure.

More than 100 samples were taken from the dead polar bear, which polar bear researchers can use as controls when they compare these samples with samples from polar bears in the wild. Thus, the dead polar bear will benefit future polar bear research.