NEW YORK, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Aurora, a beloved 28-year-old female polar bear, has died at a zoo in the U.S. northeastern state of New York.
"The loss of such a beloved animal is difficult for the entire zoo family," said Larry Sorel, Director of Seneca Park Zoo located in Rochester, New York, in a statement on Wednesday. "Aurora captured the hearts of staff and guests alike. She will be deeply missed."
A necropsy determined that Aurora had a deteriorating liver and a compromised gall bladder, said Dr. Louis DiVincenti, the zoo's director of animal health and conservation.
Aurora was born at Hogle Zoo in Utah in 1989 and moved to the Seneca Park Zoo two years later. During her time in Rochester, Aurora gave birth to five cubs between 1996 and 2002, one of which died not long after his birth. The other four include: three females, Anoki, Sila and Haley and one male, Qilak. All four are now grown.
Polar bears tend to live to between 15 and 18 years in the wild and between 25 and 30 in captivity. Female polar bears have a median life expectancy of about 24 years in human care.
