Oldest female polar bear in captivity dies at age 36

A zoo in northern Germany announced on Friday the death of the polar bear Larissa, believed to be the oldest female polar bear living in human care in the world, at the age of 36.

Neumünster Zoo stated that the bear’s health had deteriorated in recent weeks due to old age.

Larissa was born at Rotterdam Zoo in the Netherlands in 1990, before moving to Neumünster Zoo, near the city of Kiel in northern Germany, in 2017, where she quickly became one of the zoo’s most popular attractions.

In a statement, the zoo said: “At her age, Larissa was the oldest female polar bear in the world living in human care, significantly surpassing the average life expectancy of polar bears in captivity.”