Magnet the polar bear, who was so beloved by the staff and visitors of The Maryland Zoo that he served as the model for the organization's icon, died Tuesday from kidney disease.
Don Hutchinson, the zoo's president, described the zoo's staff as "deeply saddened" by the death of the 26-year-old bear, who had arrived at the zoo in 1991 at the age of 3 from Toledo, Ohio.
"Magnet was truly the single most iconic animal here at the zoo," Hutchinson said in a news release. "He was a zoo favorite from day one, and we will miss him tremendously."
Kidney disease is a common ailment in older bears, Hutchinson said. Though Magnet remained in good health for some time after his February diagnosis, his condition had recently deteriorated sharply. Hutchinson said that staff members made the decision to euthanize the bear Tuesday morning.