Copenhagen Zoo is in mourning following the death of one of its young polar bears this week.
The bear succumbed to electric shock after biting through a cable in a steel cable box it had managed to pry open.
“Polar bears are very curious and strong animals. That has unfortunately had fatal consequences in this instance,” said Mads Frost Bertelsen, the head of the zoo.
“Fortunately, it’s one of those kinds of accidents that we have never experienced before.”
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A morose anniversary
Bertelsen said that the accident has prompted the zoo to take a thorough look at cable installations in its bear enclosures to avoid a similar situation evolving in the future.
The untimely demise of the bear means that the polar bear population in the zoo has been reduced to three – all of which are females.
The zoo’s polar bear enclosure – the Arctic Ring – only just celebrated its ten year anniversary and also includes north Atlantic birds and seals.
The compound was built with the assistance of a 150 million kroner donation by the AP Møller and Chastine McKinney Møllers Foundation.
It’s not the first time the Arctic Ring is at the centre of drama at the zoo. In 2015 a man was fortunate to escape with superficial injuries after jumping into the enclosure.
