Como Zoo officials are setting the record straight: Neil the Polar Bear is not sick. He’s just showing his age.
At 29, Neil — believed to be the oldest living male polar bear under human care in North America — is happy and healthy as he enters his golden years, officials with the St. Paul zoo said this week in a social media post.
“Like many aging animals — and people — he is experiencing normal physical changes,” they said. “Neil continues to receive everything he needs to stay as comfortable and healthy as possible in this stage of life.”
In a post on the zoo’s Facebook page, officials said a viral TikTok video that claimed Neil was sick was false.Thousands who saw the video expressed concern about the bear’s weight and living conditions.
Neil, zoo officials said, is slimmer than he once was, but that’s normal and reflects age-related changes and typical seasonal fluctuations.
Other people expressed worry because Neil has been drooling. Zoo officials said that’s because he recently lost two lower canine teeth, allowing his lips to hang looser and his saliva to flow more freely.
“He still has plenty of teeth and eats without difficulty,” according to the zoo posting. “Neil is showing natural signs of aging, but he is not sick.”
An animal care team of veterinarians, veterinary technicians and zookeepers keeps a close watch on Neil, whose “well-being is our top priority,” zoo officials said.
