Twin cub tragedy for Bahia the bear

Friday 23 February 2018

Twin cubs unexpectedly born to one of Jersey Zoo’s much-loved bears have died.

Rare Andean bear Bahia gave birth to the pair on 4 and 5 February, but both were sadly stillborn.

Zookeepers said that the pregnancy came completely out of the blue.

The seven-year-old female had been observed mating with her roommate Quechua (also seven) last year, but Bahia had not shown any signs of typical or prolonged nesting behaviour to indicate that she was carrying cubs.

That may be because the mother-of-one is still suckling two-year-old Raymi – an activity that suppresses the effects of reproductive hormones, Zoo staff said.

Pictured: Bahia and her mate, Quechua. (Will Bertram)

Despite the sad loss, Bahia is reported to have made a good recovery and is not showing signs of health issues. 

Dominic Wormell, Head of Mammals, described Bahia’s loss as a “sad event”, but reminded mourning islanders that “these incidents do occur in zoos, as they do in the wild.” 

“Along with matings and births, deaths (including unfortunately stillbirths) are all a normal part of looking after animals. Staff are never immune to the effects of such events and we are pleased Bahia appears to have suffered no ill effects and look forward to introducing her to her new enclosure,” he said. 

Pictured: Bahia, Quechua and Raymi playing in their enclosure. (Rosalind Kipps)

Islanders expressed their sympathies to Bahia en masse on social media. 

“Oh no, what sad news, makes my heart ache a little. Hopefully she is doing as well as she can be, I'm sure she's probably grieving a little for her lost babies, poor Bahia. Glad her health is good though,” one Facebooker commented.

Another praised the Zoo staff for their care: “She is in best possible hands to get her through this difficult time. With every heartache comes joy. Keep doing the amazing work. Sometimes we are just not in control of our best-laid plans, but we have to keep the faith and believe good things are coming. Love you all for taking care of our beloved beautiful creatures.”

Durrell has worked with Andean bears – a species officially listed as ‘vulnerable’ to extinction – for more than half a century. They’ve had several breeding successes over the years, but are now looking to hone their animal husbandry techniques even further.

A new enclosure is now under construction for the three furry residents – Bahia, Quechua and Raymi – which will keep them separate until the male and female are ready to breed, mimicking their real-life behaviour in the wild.