End of the line for Bern's bear pit

It's a sad time for Bern: Pedro is dead. And with him has gone a slice of Bern's history.

Pedro was the last bear in the capital's famous bear pit. At the grand old age of 28 he had to be put down on Thursday.

But Bern will not be bearless:

He will not be replaced in the pit: his successors, currently living in Bern's zoo, will stay where they are until the new bear park - much bigger and bear-friendlier than the pit - opens later this year.

Symbols of the city, the bears have historically been treated rather unsentimentally:

In 1891 the pit kindly provided a bear for the city fathers' feast marking the 600th anniversary of the foundation of Switzerland.

In 1913 the number of bears reached a record 24. No fewer than eight of them were killed and stuffed and arranged like the carousel of bears on Bern's Zytglogge clock for display at the national exhibition in 1914.

From Swissinfo.

Posted by David on May 3, 2009 5:58 PM