Edinburgh Zoo confirms death of beloved sun bear who arrived after being found in a tiny cage in Cambodia

Edinburgh Zoo has confirmed that sad news that one of its beloved sun bears has died.

Rotana, who has been a part of the zoo for more than a decade after being found in a “tiny cage” in Cambodia, was suffering with cancer that had spread to his internal organs. The illness began to affect the 20-year-old bear’s quality of life, so tvets made the decision to put him to sleep to prevent future suffering.

A spokesperson for Edinburgh Zoo said: “We are sad to share the loss of Rotana, our male sun bear. Rotana, who was 20-years-old, was suffering with cancer which had spread to his internal organs and was beginning to impact his quality of life.Our charity’s expert vets recommended he be put to sleep to prevent future suffering.

“Rotana arrived at the zoo in 2010 after being found in a tiny cage in a private home in Cambodia and was rehomed with us as part of our work with Free the Bears.

“Our female sun bear Babu is doing well, and we will be looking to welcome another male in the future to pair with her.”