Folsom Zoo mourning the loss of Marty the bear

The staff of the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary and many of its longtime visitors are mourning the loss of a long-time resident. On Sunday, the zoo announced the death of Marty, a beloved 25-year-old black bear that has called Folsom home for almost two decades. Marty had been placed with the zoo in 2003 by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife after he had been injured in the wild, along with his companion, Woody, who preceded him in death. Staff and visitors used to watch Marty interact with Woody. The duo was known for their antics, from playfully wrestling with one another to climbing the trees in their area. The two played so often, zoo officials noted, that keeping the bark on the trees in the area was a task. "They would even wrestle standing up and sometimes play so hard in their dens that staff working in the bear exhibit office would notice the window rattle," was a memory shared by zoo staff in a statement Monday. In a Facebook post shared Sunday, the zoo highlighted some of Marty's greatest quirks, which included watching the vets work through the window, being a dainty eater and loving to wrestle. "It is so challenging to lose a beloved zoo sanctuary resident. Marty is very keenly missed by all," the zoo said in the post. According to zoo officials, Marty quickly adapted to the Folsom Zoo sanctuary after he was moved here. While Marty's energy had mellowed a bit, he always remained a gentle soul, according to staff and volunteers. After Woody passed away, Marty lived adjacent to the youngest bear, Henry, and over time, they shared their exhibit space with each other. According to zoo staff, Henry was known to be more rambunctious and sometimes Marty would have to"put him in his place." Marty was known as being very observant. Zoo officials recall times where he would simply watch them in their day-to-day activities. "One day, our vet tech was working at a microscope in the bear exhibit office and looked through the window into the bear den to see Marty sitting up on his hammock bed, just watching her work through the window," said the statement. "He didn't move at all until she had finished her work and was ready to leave." Like all animals, Marty very much appreciated his meals, especially the annual Thanksgiving feast and special holiday enrichment the zoo offers each year. He was known as a "daintiest eater." "All the other bears eat peanuts in the shell but Marty would always shell each peanut. He was so gentle when taking food from his keepers, too," the staff shared. "He also loved soaking in the exhibit pools. One time, he was just sitting in the stream in the double pool, totally content with the water rushing all around him. And he was always a very serious sleeper." Black bears can live up to 30 years in the wild, according to the National Wildlife Federation. However, most die before they reach 20, meaning Marty lived a relatively full life, although he will be missed by zoo staff and visitors alike.