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Rescued polar bear Dikson dies in Moscow Zoo

Veterinarians said that the animal's health deteriorated due to the progressive lesion of the spinal cord

MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/. The polar bear rescued from Dikson Island in the Krasnoyarsk Region died in the Moscow Zoo, the zoo said in a statement on its Telegram channel.

"The Moscow Zoo mourns the loss of Dikson. Dikson has died. It is hard for us to accept and tell you about it, because you all followed the life of our dear bear and hoped for his recovery," the statement said.

According to zoologists, Dikson's health deteriorated recently: he began to have difficulty breathing, ate less and stayed indoors. "To stabilize his condition, he was given additional medication. He felt better the next day, but then his condition deteriorated again. The bear died in his sleep from cardiorespiratory failure," the zoo said.

Veterinarians said that the animal's health deteriorated due to the progressive lesion of the spinal cord. "Many remember in what terrible condition Dikson was brought to us in September 2022: he was malnourished, he had gun wounds and paralyzed extremities. Few believed that he would live. However, we decided to do everything possible to bring him to health. <…> We had high expectations, but, unfortunately, it was all in vain," the zoo pointed out.

The polar bear rescued from Dikson Island in the Krasnoyarsk Region was brought to the Moscow Zoo on September 9, 2022. The injured bear was in critical condition, as his lower extremities were paralyzed and he was dehydrated. X-rays showed that he had multiple gun wounds of different sizes. According to a neurologist, the bear had no chance of ever walking again due to his injuries.