Woodland Park Zoo has said goodbye to a very important grandma. 

Tasha, a 20-year-old sloth bear known for her beautiful coat, hazel eyes, and love of cinnamon, was humanely euthanized after being diagnosed with advanced cancer.

She had recently shown signs of rapidly declining health, including lethargy and loss of appetite, prompting an urgent exam. Veterinarians discovered malignant tumor cells in abdominal fluid, indicating severe, widespread disease. “Considering the severity of her condition and a grave prognosis, we made the humane decision to euthanize Tasha,” said Dr. Tim Storms, the zoo’s director of animal health.

Tasha was born in 2003 and arrived in Seattle in 2011 as part of a cooperative breeding program among zoos to support healthy, genetically diverse populations. She had never given birth before coming to Woodland Park Zoo, but during her time there, she raised four cubs. One of her daughters, Kushali (kuu-SHAW-lee), recently gave birth to Bowie, a 4-month-old cub named after David Bowie — they share the same birthday. Bowie and her mom can still be seen in the Banyan Wilds exhibit, along with Bowie’s dad, Bhutan (boo-TAHN).

“Tasha was possibly our most beautiful sloth bear,” animal keeper Miero Marra said. “Her long shaggy coat was always perfectly arranged and flowed in the wind when she walked. Her expressive hazel eyes appeared full of deep thought. An excellent and protective mother, Tasha taught her cubs how to be sloth bears. We’re all going to miss Tasha a lot, her quiet but powerful presence.”

Tasha had already lived past the life expectancy for her species in human care, which is around 16 years. In the wild, sloth bears are found in forests and grasslands in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. They face ongoing threats from deforestation, habitat loss, and illegal trade. Woodland Park Zoo supports Wildlife SOS, an India-based conservation group working to protect sloth bears and help local communities coexist with them.

“Tasha was fierce and beautiful and let everyone know it,” lead animal keeper Katie Graves said. “She made you work to gain her trust and love, but when she decided you were all right, it was the most rewarding thing on earth. The zoo will not be the same without her. Luckily, she lives on through her many descendants, especially the females, as they show her fierceness and strength that she always possessed.”

To support sloth bear conservation efforts, visit zoo.org/donate.