Honey, a black bear who lived at an ecology center in Holtsville, has died at the age of 27

Honey, a black bear with a sweet tooth, has helped teach generations of Long Islanders about conservation at the Holtsville Ecology Site and Animal Preserver. The services confirmed that the 27-year-old bear died on Friday.

According to director April Perry, the bear and his brother, Pooh, were brought from out of state to the ecology when he was just a few months old. Pooh died in 2019.

“We are very grateful that so many people were able to see Pooh… and Honey for as long as they could,” said Daniel Losquadro, Brookhaven Town’s highway superintendent, whose department oversees the ecology center. “The children had the opportunity to feed these bears through the fence. Many of the children had so many wonderful memories, even after seeing these animals up close.”

The ecology center accepts abandoned, injured or illegally domesticated wild animals. Staff and guests were greatly affected by the news of Honey’s death.

“It’s really a grieving process,” said Kristin Layer, a caretaker at the ecological center who has worked directly with Honey for about seven years. “We are with these animals every day, more than our friends and family, and we truly mourn for them. They become part of our lives.”

Layer and Perry recalled how the bear liked sweet smells and food. Staff stuffed the logs with peanut butter, or the sweet liquid that gave it its name.

“She was fed exotic K-9 food as a base, then supplemented with other fruits and a few vegetables,” Layer recalls Honey’s typical diet. She added that the bear also liked to eat eggs, chopped meat and pork – all raw – but her favorite food was primarily grapes.

“Many people have already come here, crying and mourning her death because they have come year after year to see these animals,” Layer said. “They create their own connections with them.”