NC Zoo announces death of Holly, the black bear

Holly, a black bear who lived at the North Carolina Zoo for 24 years, died earlier this month, the zoo announced Wednesday.

Posted 5:57 p.m. Nov 13, 2019 — Updated 5:57 p.m. Nov 13, 2019

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

, Go Ask Mom editor

ASHEBORO, N.C. — Holly, a black bear who lived at the North Carolina Zoo for 24 years, died earlier this month, the zoo announced Wednesday.

Holly was euthanized Nov. 6 after being diagnosed with oral neoplasia, an abnormal, cancerous growth. The rapid onset of the disease caught the caretakers and veterinarians off guard as they were surprised by the size and extent of the mass, according to the zoo's press release. There were no signs of it during an exam in April. Veterinarians decided to euthanize Holly because of her deteriorating quality of life.

Holly arrived at the zoo, along with another black bear male Yanu, on Feb. 13, 1995. Both were confiscated by the NC Wildlife Commission from an unaccredited roadside zoo in 1992 in Cherokee County, according to the zoo. She was estimated to be 28 years old and wild-born. Yanu died at the zoo in 2017.

Among the three species of North American bears, which also includes the polar bear and the grizzly bear, the black bear is the smallest and found predominately in North Carolina. Their populations decreased dramatically in the 1900s because of habitat loss and hunting. Today, about 11,000 are estimated to live in North Carolina, mostly in the mountains and coastal regions.

According to the zoo, the black bear is a shy, non-aggressive animal that avoids human beings in most cases. Occasionally bears wander into towns or residential areas in search of food, but bears should never be fed human-processed foods, such as garbage, pet food, or bird food. Dependence on human food may cause bears to have increased interaction with people, which can cause them to become aggressive and dangerous. BearWise has more information about how to avoid human-bear contact.

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