Watch now: Joaquin the bear makes his return to Tucson zoo
From the What's new, Tucson?: 20 people, places and things welcomed in 2021 series
- Jesse Tellez
Jesse Tellez
Digital Editor
- Updated
Joaquin, an 18-year-old Andean bear, is back at Reid Park Zoo after being born there in 2002.
The roughly 400-pound bear's most recent home was the Philadelphia Zoo, but he was returned to Tucson after being deemed a potential breeding partner for Oja, Reid Park Zoo's female Andean bear.
The zoo held a special welcoming for Joaquin, whose furry parents were Reid Park Zoo's own Worf and Lucy, the morning of Oct. 19, 2021.
Jesse Tellez
Digital Editor
In this Series
As featured on
The bull got loose in Rita Ranch and police tweeted a photo of the animal casually grazing on some scrub grass among the gravel along a home’s front lawn.
For Star subscribers: A new complex aims to fill the void for those who can't afford luxury apartments but don't qualify for affordable housing.
City officials have announced a plan to expand the zoo into its existing parking lot instead of taking over park space.
More information
- Photos: Reid Park Zoo welcomes back Andean Bear Joaquin
- Watch now: Newest zebra foal at Reid Park Zoo has a need for speed
- Photos: Oldest giraffe at Reid Park Zoo dies at age 32
- Watch now: Elephants play in the mud at Reid Park Zoo during Tucson's rainy season
- Watch now: Bats take to the sky from Tucson's Rillito River
- Watch now: Young javelina chows down at Tucson Wildlife Center
- Watch now: Backpacker’s intense standoff with mountain lion near Tucson
- Watch now: Playful gazelles go head-to-head at Reid Park Zoo
- Multiple residents report bear sighting in northwest Tucson
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