![Berlin snacked on lettuce as she acclimated to her new surroundings at the Como Zoo in St. Paul, MN, Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012.] (DAVID JOLES/STARTRIBUNE) Como Zoo’s polar bears just got a housemate. Buzz & Neil are now sharing their outdoor habitat with Berlin, the female polar bear displaced by the flooding at Duluth’s Lake Superior Zoo in June. Berlin has been behind the scenes of Como’s Polar Bear Odyssey Exhibit and not on public display until now.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/I5T5WZV6ZT4ZXJ7BE3M6UWVK2Q.jpg?&w=712)
Berlin, the polar bear that famously escaped her enclosure at the Lake Superior Zoo during the 2012 flood, has died. The 33-year-old bear, believed to be the oldest in human care in the United States, had systemic hypertension and was euthanized when treatment was no longer an option. She spent the last 10 years at the Kansas City Zoo, where it was hoped she would mate and have cubs. She did not.
Berlin was a year old when she moved to the Duluth zoo, where she lived until her habitat was destroyed during the flood. She had used the high water to climb to nearby rocks and was tranquilized by a veterinarian. Afterward, Berlin was briefly moved to Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul.
Her keepers at the Lake Superior Zoo recall her as a good puzzler and a fan of toys. She was always eager to jump into her pool to play.
