Beloved bear dies in California zoo, breaking her furry friend’s heart

The Sequoia Park Zoo said goodbye this week to its beloved bear Noni, who captured visitors’ hearts with her larger-than-life antics, splashing in water, scrambling up trees and wiggling her heart shaped nose at the sight of peanut butter.

“Everybody now is just devastated because nobody expected this,” said Jim Campbell-Spickler, director of the Eureka, Calif., zoo. “Noni was so active and vibrant until the moment she wasn’t.”

Noni was about 2½ years old when she died from a blockage in her intestines that caused severe damage to her colon, according to a Facebook post by the zoo. Her sudden death rattled the zoo staff she once dazzled and left a mark on her best bear friend, Tule. The two had been inseparable since they were cubs.

“I do feel that he [Tule] senses the loss,” said Campbell-Spickler. “He’s still getting out and getting active, but he’s not as engaged with his habitat.”

Noni was found orphaned in Shasta County in 2022 and was taken to Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care for rehabilitation, where she instantly bonded with fellow orphaned cub Tule.

Noni was deemed too friendly with humans to be released safely into the wild, while Tule suffered from a skin condition that stopped him from developing a thick enough coat for survival on his own. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife decided that the pair would be most successful as animal ambassadors for their species at the Sequoia Park Zoo.

They are the first bears to live at at the seven-acre zoo — one of the smallest Assn. of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoos in the nation — since the 1970s, said Campbell-Spickler.

The two bears were an instant hit with zookeepers and park visitors, who loved watching them play together. While Noni was the brave and mischievous one, Tule was always following in her pawsteps, he added.

Noni’s caretakers affectionately nicknamed her “Twinkle Toes,” because she could often be found perched on the thinnest branches of the towering redwoods.

“We would get calls of people saying, ‘Oh, my gosh, she’s 100 feet up in the tree, she’s going to fall,’” he said. “And we’re like, ‘No, no, she’s a pro, just a really agile and brave climber, always having fun.’”

She was also stunningly beautiful, he said, with long eyelashes, blond eyebrows and a perfect brown coat.

Noni loved playing with bubbles and splashing around in water, and zookeepers often joked about needing to get her a hot tub for her habitat, officials said. Her favorite snacks were peanut butter, yogurt, berries and honey.

Last Thursday, zookeepers noticed the usually playful and energetic bear became lethargic and sullen. The following day she was transferred to Broadway Animal Hospital for emergency surgery, where a piece of connective tissue was found to be compromising her colon.

The tissue was removed but the damage to the colon was irreversible. Despite another emergency operation Wednesday, doctors were unable to save her.

“She received the best care, no expenses spared,” said Campbell-Spickler, “We did everything we could for this young, amazing, beautiful animal.”

Her passing has been hard for zoo staff, he said, who were accustomed to observing her goofy antics every day and feel badly for Tule.

“Our habitat can accommodate more rescue bears, so perhaps in the future we will find new friends for Tule,” he said. “But we’re not thinking about that right now, we’re just mourning the loss of a dear friend and it’s tough.”