Beloved Black Bear At Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary Dies

FOLSOM (CBS13) – A beloved 25-year-old black bear that has been with the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary since 2003 has died.

The zoo sanctuary said the bear, named Marty, arrived there after being injured in the wild. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife brought Marty to the zoo with a companion named Woody.

"They were great friends and playmates. The staff and public enjoyed watching them wrestle and climb the exhibit trees," the zoo sanctuary said. "In fact, the tree in the center of the middle bear exhibit had a challenging time keeping its bark intact simply due to their incessant climbing."

Zoo officials said Marty was a very observant animal and appreciative – especially when it came to food.

"He very much appreciated his meals, especially the annual Thanksgiving Feast and special holiday enrichment. Marty was the daintiest eater. All the other bears eat peanuts in the shell, but Marty would always shell each peanut," the zoo sanctuary said in a Facebook post. "He was so gentle when taking food from his keepers, too. He also loved soaking in the exhibit pools."

Marty's cause of death was not released.