Our Community Mourns DJ the American Black Bear

It’s with a heavy heart that we share the sad news that DJ, a beloved American black bear at Bear Hollow Zoo, was humanely euthanized on May 30, 2025. This difficult decision was made by both zoo and veterinary staff.

Here at Friends of Bear Hollow, and we know throughout the community, we’ve watched and loved DJ for many, many years since he joined the zoo in 2005.

DJ made it to the great age of 22 which is a normal lifespan for a bear in managed care and surpasses the typical lifespan in the wild. He had been diagnosed with spinal osteoarthritis in 2022 after the zoo staff first noticed changes in his behavior. Later, in 2024, DJ was also diagnosed with heart disease. The UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital provided wonderful care that help him reach this age even though his conditions were incurable.

Considering his quality of life and the progression of his diseases, we understand that the very best decision was made for DJ. He was surrounded with love and will be deeply missed by all of us.