The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium said it made the tough call to euthanize its only Grizzly bear Thursday. Ginger, who bore two cubs, was 40 years old.
WOSU talked with one of the zoo’s curators, Kelly Vineyard, about Ginger’s legacy. Click the application to hear the full interview.
Vineyard said Ginger suffered from arthritis, and her health had declined during the past year.
“That might be probably the toughest duty or job , or part of a zookeeper’s job, or zoo vet’s job, to do at the zoo is make that decision whenever we think that their quality of life is not good anymore.”
Vineyard described Ginger as the “sweetest bear" she ever trained.
“She just was like a magnet. You just wanted to take care of her, wanted to learn how to train her and how to interact with her, and just make sure she was just having the greatest time ever.”