Photos: Ahpun through the years

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 24

Pat Lampi, the current executive director of the Alaska Zoo holds the polar bear cub, Ahpun, on April 23, 1998. (Bob Hallinen / ADN)

Ahpun, the beloved female polar bear who lived for two decades at the Alaska Zoo, died unexpectedly on New Year's Eve, zoo officials said Tuesday.

Zoo staff found the bear's body during a routine check Sunday morning, said Patrick Lampi, the executive director. She was about 20 years old.

"She's been a favorite here for generations of people," Lampi said Tuesday. "It's heartbreaking."

Read more: Ahpun the polar bear, a star attraction at the Alaska Zoo, has died