Overview
- Zoo veterinarians decided to euthanize Kap on July 16 after diagnostics under anesthesia showed worsening liver values and an enlarged gallbladder despite treatment.
- His health had fluctuated over the past eight weeks with intermittent improvements that ultimately failed to reverse irreversible damage.
- At 24 years old, Kap was the oldest male in the European Endangered Species Programme and a cornerstone of the breeding effort to maintain genetic diversity.
- He fathered cub Mika in late 2023, a pairing that became a focal point for visitors when Mika debuted in spring.
- The ongoing necropsy aims to clarify the precise causes of organ failure to enhance future polar bear care and conservation breeding practices.