Beloved Holly The Bear Enters Hospice Care In Bridgeton, NJ

A sad update from the Cohanzick Zoo in Bridgeton about Holly, their longtime-resident Asiatic black bear. This one stings a little.

After calling Bridgeton home for almost 30 years, she’s now in hospice care with late-stage liver cancer. If you’ve ever wandered the zoo paths with your family or just needed a quiet afternoon with the animals, you know exactly who she is.

Holly’s Long Reign As Queen Of Cohanzick Zoo

She showed up in 1996 as a fluffy 6-month-old black bear cub alongside her brother Ben. Once he moved on to the Philadelphia Zoo, Holly owned the place. She became the calm, confident Queen of the entire zoo.

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Holly’s the one everybody made a beeline to see. At 30 years old (she just blew out the candles on her birthday cake back in December), she holds the record as the oldest female Asiatic black bear in human care. That’s wild when you think about it.

Those Sweet Last Sunny Afternoons

The zoo shared the cutest photos from last week. Holly’s lounging on her favorite “stoop,” soaking up the spring sun, happily munching on a juicy slice of watermelon while listening to visitors and birds chirping around her.

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The staff is keeping her comfortable while following her lead every step of the way with vets right there. It’s clear how much this girl means to everyone who’s cared for her all these years

Holly The Bear: Cohanzick Zoo’s Legendary Queen For 3 Decades

Growing up in South Jersey, places like Cohanzick Zoo feel like part of our childhood. Holly was always there. She’s steady, majestic, and part of that zoo’s history. These stories remind us how special these animals become in our lives.

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Sending the biggest hug to Holly and the whole zoo team right now. They’re doing everything with so much love and respect. We’ll keep you updated as things progress.