4 months, 3 cancer cases, 2 animal deaths at Zoo Boise

Creatures at Zoo Boise get yearly wellness checks and, like humans, cancer is a particular scourge.

The Idaho Statesman reports in the past four months, the zoo has seen three cancer cases, ending with the deaths of two animals.

Wild animals are good at hiding symptoms of illness but keepers knew something was wrong with Jack, a sloth bear, when he lost his appetite and became jaundiced, indicating renal failure.

Zoo director Steve Burns says cancer had riddled the bear’s body with tumors. Jack was euthanized on May 13.

Cancer was also responsible for the January death of male lion, Jabari.

A meerkat named Spot had a tumor removed from his liver in early May. He returned to the Zoo last week.