Payson, born in South Dakota on January 7, 1994, came to the park to be part of a new Arizona exhibit where she would share her habitat with one other bear, wolves and cougars. After a year and a half together, the wolves wanted a home of their own. The bears and cougars still cohabitate to this day. Payson is playful and can be distinguished by her tan muzzle. Heavily built and powerful, bears are, for their size, among the strongest of animals and have a life span of up to 32 years in wild.