Goodbye, Tundra:

Bronx Zoo’s beloved polar bear Tundra dies

THE BRONX ZOO’S beloved polar bear Tundra, a cherished attraction for visitors since 1991, has died. He was 26.

Tundra was suffering from acute kidney failure and was euthanized, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs the zoo.

The lovable bear was put down on Saturday. He lived five years past the average life expectancy for male polar bears in captivity, zoo officials noted.

Tundra “remained extremely active and playful until just before his death,” zoo director Jim Breheny said.

“Tundra served as an important ambassador for his species, giving our guests an opportunity to see the power, majesty and grace of polar bears while learning about the problems these bears face in the wild due to a changing environment,” Breheny said.

The Bronx Zoo said it has no plans to get another polar bear. He will surely be missed. “Tundra was born at the Bronx Zoo 26 years ago,” Breheny wrote in a Twitter post. “I tried to stop by & see him every day, he was a great animal & will be missed.”

Tundra was the last living polar bear in the city after Central Park’s neurotic polar bear Gus was euthanized in August 2013. Zoo officials put him down after an inoperable tumor was found near his thyroid gland. Some visitors also believed Tundra was suffering in a closed area. A petition to “Free Tundra” got 29,756 signatures on change.org.

“In the wild, polar bears roam great distances to hunt for their food, and have been known to swim as far as 60 miles without rest,” the petition said.

“There is nothing ‘normal’ or ‘natural’ about confining a polar bear to a concrete cell in New York,” it added.

Tundra, a polar bear, who made his public debut as a cub in 1992 (below with mom Snow Lily) and lived all of his 26 years at the Bronx Zoo, was euthanized Saturday. He was the species’ last New York City representative. With News Wire Services