Cheyenne Mountain Zoo shares a heartfelt goodbye to Asiatic black bear, Beezler

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- According to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZoo), on Sunday morning, June 29, it said goodbye to Beezler, the oldest Asiatic black bear in human care in the U.S.

CMZoo says Beezler came to the zoo in 1994 with her sister Honey, who passed away in 2022. To honor her time at the location, the zoo gave her what they call "Last Best Day", says officials. According to the zoo, planning her Last Best Day included giving the Zoo Family a chance to say goodbye.

Before Beezler was humanely euthanized, CMZoo says that staff expressed appreciation for Beezler’s contributions, signed a card, and enjoyed watching Beezler relax in the sunshine, enjoying cookies, whipped cream, muffins, and meatballs.

“She was the oldest Asiatic black bear in human care in the country, but it seems like she only turned ‘old’ really recently,” Jessi Palmer, Rocky Mountain Wild animal keeper, says. “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 Beezler kept a quiet corner above the playhill and tapir-okapi yard, where many Zoo visitors enjoyed the calm and peaceful setting, taking time for lunch at the picnic tables or quietly watching Beezler.

Staff reminisce about a time Beezler, at 30 years old, 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,” Kelsey Walker, Rocky Mountain Wild senior animal keeper, says. “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.”

CMZoo says that Asiatic black bears are uncommon in zoos, making Beezler a rare and special resident. The team said that despite her small stature, standing only about two-and-a-half feet tall at the shoulder, Beezler had a giant presence at CMZoo and worldwide through the Zoo’s social media channels.

“A lot of members came to the Zoo just to see Beezler,” Courtney Rogers, CMZoo registrar and former Rocky Mountain Wild keeper, says. “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.”

Erika Furnes, Rocky Mountain Wild senior animal keeper, worked with Beezler for nine years, saying, "A big part of our role is to help guests fall in love with animals, but she didn’t need us,” Erika says. “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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