COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — On Sunday, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo said goodbye to Beezler, the oldest Asiatic black bear in human care in the U.S.
Beezler came to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in 1994 with her sister, Honey, who passed away in 2022.
Covering Colorado
Asiatic black bear dies at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Part of planning her last day included giving her zoo family a chance to say goodbye. Before Beezler was humanely euthanized, staff, docents and board members gathered to express their gratitude for her.
Staff signed a card and watched Beezler relax in the sun and enjoy treats.
“It may sound strange, but we work hard and have hours of discussions to make sure we’re giving each animal its Last Best Day,” said Bob Chastain, president and CEO at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. “We wanted to make sure Beezler was healthy enough to pass peacefully. That meant a few things for us. She needed to eat something so we could keep her medicated, and we needed her to be comfortable and peaceful while the process took place. The team was able to achieve that peaceful passing for Beezler, and that’s comforting to all of us. She’ll be deeply missed.”
Beezler has kept a quiet corner of the zoo for many years. Above the playhill and tapir-okapi yard, visitors to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo have enjoyed the peaceful setting, taking the time for lunch at picnic tables nearby to watch Beezler.
The zoo says Beezler has been a celebrated member of the community for decades. They also say she was especially inspirational to many in their golden years.
“She was the oldest Asiatic black bear in human care in the country, but it seems like she only turned ‘old’ really recently,” said Jessi Palmer, Rocky Mountain Wild animal keeper. “She was still so mentally sharp, observant and engaged. It’s like we knew she was old, but she didn’t believe it. I think many people who are aging related to her and were inspired by her. She just kept going.”
The zoo says, at 30 years old, Beezler surprised her care team by climbing up a structure about 15 feet high.
“We were delivering an enrichment item via zip line into her outdoor area, and it got stuck just above the structure,” said Kelsey Walker, Rocky Mountain Wild senior animal keeper. “Before we could shake it loose, Beezler was scaling a diagonal tree trunk and balancing on her back legs to reach it. That was typical Beezler, defying the odds and making you rethink everything you thought you knew.”
Erika Furnes, Rocky Mountain Wild senior wild animal keeper, worked with Beezler for nine years. She described Beezler as sweet, confident and patient, with a side of respectable sass.
“During training sessions, sometimes Beezler was training us,” said Furnes. “If you weren’t delivering her training rewards the right way, holding the tongs at just the right angle, getting the food portions perfect and pacing them as quickly as she wanted them, she would start taking the food from the tongs with a bit more quickness and intensity. She was still gentle, taking the food just with her lips, but she would definitely communicate if your performance wasn’t up to her standards.”
For almost 10 years, Furnes and Beezler worked closely together, learning new training techniques and making accommodations for Beezler to cooperate in her own health care as she aged.
“She taught us a lot about making accommodations for aging animals, to support their natural behaviors as their bodies slow down,” said Furnes. “In her later years, we turned one of her pools into a dirt pile, which she loved. We made adjustments to her enrichment, so she was still challenged and we could encourage her to stay flexible, but she could still feel accomplished. We never stopped offering her ‘young bear’ enrichment, like a log that smelled like one of our porcupines. We weren’t sure if she’d be interested, but she tore it up like a cub.”
Beezler got a smaller pool, along with mud wallows to access her climate controlled den to keep cool. Guests often shared sentiments of support, knowing the zoo was offering Beezler opportunities to nap in the cool den.
“A lot of members came to the Zoo just to see Beezler,” said Courtney Rogers, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo registrar and former Rocky Mountain Wild keeper. “They would sometimes ask where she was, and when I explained that she might be choosing to take a nap in her den, they would say, ‘Good for her!’. People respected Beezler, and like us, wanted what was best for her.”
Asiatic black bears are not commonly found in zoos, which made Beezler a special part of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
“A big part of our role is to help guests fall in love with animals, but she didn’t need us,” said Furnes. “She did that on her own. People connected with her in so many ways, and she was the perfect ambassador for her species.”
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