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SYDNEY - There was no sisterly love lost as two bear sisters celebrated their 30th birthday today at Sydney's Taronga Zoo, marking a giant milestone for two of the world's oldest Kodiak bears.
The sisters, Cynthia and Bethel, each guarded a massive Atlantic Salmon before shredding it with their sharp claws and devouring the red flesh in front of dozens of photographers and onlookers.
The "girls", whose ancestors come from three islands near Alaska, arrived in Australia from the US at the tender age of one, and have lived together at Taronga Zoo for the past 21 years, the zoo's carnivore keeper Louise Ginman said.
"They are sisters, but there's no sisterly love when there's good food around," Ms Ginman said.
"In the wild, they are solitary so they would normally live alone.
"Even though they are so large they're very cautious animals, so having something new like this massive big salmon in their exhibit does make them kind of stand back a little bit and take in what it is, make sure it's not still alive, or something that's going to hurt them."
As Bethel tucked into the last morsels of her birthday treat, Cynthia joined her in a cave before nudging her sister outside so she could enjoy the fish.
"You do see sisterly tiffs every now and then, they vocalise to each other to tell each other to stand back and whenever there's food involved they certainly don't share it," Ms Ginman said.
Their enclosure mate Barney died 18 months ago, aged 28, and while the sisters have arthritis Ms Ginman said they could live up to 35 years in captivity.
The siblings were some of the oldest bears alive in captivity due to a strict diet of low calorie foods, vegetables that contain anti-inflammatory agents, the banning of red meat, increased fish intake and regular veterinary treatment, Ms Ginman said.
Kodiaks come from the brown (grizzly) bear family, weigh almost 800kg, stand up to three metres tall and eat at least six times a day.
They have adjusted well to the Australian climate and choose to cool off in the enclosure's ponds or caves during the warm summer months, Ms Ginman said.
- AAP
