Cancer, death at Zoo Boise
In the past four months, the zoo has seen three cases, ending with the deaths of two animals.
Wild animals are especially good at hiding symptoms of illness — it’s a way to hide weakness from predators. But keepers knew something was wrong with Jack, one of the zoo’s sloth bears, when he lost his appetite and became jaundiced, indicating renal failure.
Cancer had riddled the bear’s body with tumors, said Steve Burns, zoo director. Jack was euthanized on May 13.
Dr. Jeff Brourman is a veterinary surgeon and owner of the WestVet emergency care clinic in Garden City. He performed an exploratory surgery on Jack after testing showed signs of cancer. The bear, he said, had multiple tumors that originated from his bile duct and gallbladder, and then spread to other organs. Full story.
