This photo was taken not long before Joachim and Ingrid passed away. Of note is the behaviour that was being displayed, with one of the bears standing and swinging its head side to side for long periods of time, due to boredom and frustration.
I remember taking the VIP tour (tour guide with a golf cart) in 1996 and asking the guide what happened to the polar bears. She said she was not allowed to say, so since then I have always wondered what happened to the deceased animals. I think I know but it has never been confirmed.
@CarLarchameleon Wow, that’s extreme. I wasn’t aware it was a closely guarded secret. Rather, the zoo should have been proud they lived that long. Joachim was wild born in 1962; and Ingrid was captive born at the Detroit Zoo in 1963. This would have made them 32-33 when they died in late 1995. In their later years, Joachim suffered from heart issues; and Ingrid has arthritis. I imagine they were euthanised on humane grounds.
