Bert the moose has become the latest animal to be euthanized by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium for what the nonprofit said were humane reasons.
Bert and two other orphaned moose calves, Scarlet and Violet, were rescued in 2022 from Alaska and placed in the zoo’s North America Trek habitat, where they became popular figures among guests.
“From the moment [Bert] arrived, he captured the hearts of guests and staff alike,” the zoo said in its announcement on Facebook.
Over the past week, however, the zoo said its animal care team became concerned about Bert’s behavior and immediately placed him under emergency veterinary care, treatment and continuous monitoring. When Bert did not regain normal function or even the ability to stand, the zoo said its medics made the “difficult decision” on humane euthanasia.
“A necropsy has been performed, and we are awaiting results to help determine the cause of Bert’s condition,” the zoo said in its post.
“Some animals leave hoofprints that stay with you forever. Resident moose, Bert, was one of them,” the zoo said.
In April, the zoo announced that Kibibi, a 12-year-old cheetah known as “Bibi” among zoo animal care personnel, was humanely euthanized following a battle with kidney failure.
The Dispatch in July 2025 had made a records request of the zoo regarding animals that had been euthanized. The zoo initially denied the request, saying that even though the nonprofit is funded with taxpayers’ dollars through a countywide levy, it is not required to do so under the Ohio Public Records Act.
In October, however, zoo CEO Tom Scmid said in an interview with The Dispatch that the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is changing its approach to answering public records and will begin to provide some documents in response to “thoughtful and reasonable” requests.
Jim Wilhelm is an assistant managing editor and can be reached at jwilhelm@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Zoo announces humane euthanasia of Bert, 1 of its 3 rescued moose
Reporting by Jim Wilhelm, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Jim Wilhelm, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
