Bobo, the Asian black bear who lived in Macau for more than 30 years, has died due to old age, organ failure and weakness, the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) said in a statement yesterday, with the bureau planning to preserve the bear’s body by way of taxidermy so that he can be put on display.
IACM Administration Committee Member Isabel Jorge said in a media briefing at Flora Garden in front of Babo’s enclosure that Bobo died at around 11 a.m. yesterday, and a memorial area will be set up for the public at his enclosure from today for a week.
According to previous media reports, Bobo was rescued in the mid-1980s from a game restaurant in Rua da Felicidade when he was a young cub kept in a cage so small he could not even stand up. Since his rescue from the cooking pot, Bobo had been living in Flora Garden, a popular park for locals and tourists, young and old alike.
Jorge said that Bobo was an “elderly” animal and had been suffering from joint inflammation and cataracts, adding that his condition worsened on Monday after he lost his appetite on Saturday.
According to an IACM statement, Bobo also lost his appetite in January when he appeared to have mental fatigue. After assessing his urine, it was confirmed that Bobo was infected with Klebsiella Pneumonia which is a bacterium that normally lives inside the intestines and was being treated with prescription medicine and vitamin supplements.
The statement said that Bobo’s joint deterioration got worse recently resulting in hind limb weakness and limping, but his condition didn’t improve even after treatment and prescription drugs. Bobo’s appetite then fell sharply, his health slipped and he had no motivation to do much, only lying down and not eating, so his keepers fed him by hand, and the amount Bobo was eating was not even 10 percent of his daily intake.
The statement said that Bobo’s health was closely monitored and he was given IV drips, adding that due to old age, organ failure and weakness, Bobo passed away with his keepers beside him.
During yesterday’s press briefing, the acting head of the greening department of the bureau, Ao Ieong Un Fong, said that they were thinking of preserving Bobo, to keep him as a specimen.
The process for preserving animals is called taxidermy which is the preservation of an animal’s
body via mounting or stuffing, for the purpose of display or study.
Preserved animals are often, but not always, portrayed in a lifelike state.
Ao Ieong said the taxidermy procedure would be a message for the next generation on animal preservation, as well as documenting this as the start of the city’s history on animal protection.
Ao Ieong also said that the enclosure that the bureau had been preparing for Bobo in Seac Pai Van Park could now be used as an animal medical centre or quarantine space for when the giant pandas fall sick, while Bobo’s enclosure at Flora Garden for the time being would remain as it is
Jorge also told The Macau Post Daily yesterday the bureau plans to import more “common” animals like llamas to Macau.
After yesterday’s news reports about Bobo’s deteriorating health and subsequently his death, some locals visited his enclosure, where the Bobo statue in front of his enclosure was decorated by IACM officials with white butterfly orchids.
“I remember seeing him [Bobo] in a cage outside Seh Wong Fan [restaurant],” a woman in her 60s at the enclosure told reporters yesterday, “I was just here a few weeks ago and he was there sunbathing. Everyone goes through birth, ageing, sickness and death, of course, it’s upsetting but it’s normal.”
Another local man visiting the enclosure with his grandson told reporters that it was a pity that Bobo has died.
“I used to bring my son here, and now my grandson,” the visitor said, “I hope the government can bring another bear here. [Bobo] was a very well behaved bear,” he said.
Retired IACM Administration Committee member Leong Kun Fong, who used to be in charge of looking after Bobo, told reporters that Bobo’s age was equivalent to over 100 years old in human terms.
“Bobo brought happiness to many locals, and he gave a rare opportunity to Macau to take care of a wild animal, and this experience provides a chest of knowledge for the next generation,” Leong said.
This undated photo provided by IACM yesterday shows Bobo in his enclosure in Flora Garden.
Ao Ieong Un Fong, the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau’s(IACM) acting head of its greening department, talks about preserving Bobo as specimen at yesterday’s brief press conference in Flora Garden.
Isabel Jorge, a member of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) administration committee, talks about the future plans for Bobo’s enclosure during yesterday’s press briefing in Flora Garden. Photos: Paola Reyes
