The National Zoo shared the sad news yesterday that 23-year-old Cisco, a male Andean bear, has died.

Cicso passed away on the zoo’s grounds yesterday during an emergency veterinary exam, the zoo explained in a press release. In the past week, he had become less active and began breathing more heavily, occasionally coughing, and losing his appetite, which prompted zoo keepers to move up an exam date that was scheduled for later this week.

During the checkup, veterinarians found large amounts of liquid in his lungs and abnormal soft-tissue masses within his chest cavity, so they performed an emergency procedure. At that point, Cisco developed cardiopulmonary arrest. Due to his failing condition, “the team made the decision not to resuscitate Cisco, and let him humanely pass pain-free and quietly.”

Cisco left the Queens Zoo for D.C. in 2013. The following year, he sired two cubs, Mayni and Muniri, who now live at the Nashville Zoo. Their mother, Billie Jean, is still at the National Zoo.

“Having come to the National Zoo at 20 years old, he proved that older male Andean bears are quite capable of producing offspring,” said Craig Saffoe, curator of Andean bears at the zoo. “He helped us learn more about Andean bears, and we are sharing everything we have learned about their husbandry, breeding, nutrition and veterinary care from him and our other bears with colleagues in other zoos and in Peru to help the species.”

Andean bears are South America’s only bear species. On average, the males live into their early 20s in human care. In the coming weeks, a pathology report will provide more details about Cisco’s death.

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