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Milwaukee County Zoo Seal Dies from Surgery Complications

Incident Date:
11/26/2024
Location:
Milwaukee, WI - USA
Facility Name:
Milwaukee County Zoo
Facility Type:
Accredited AZA Facility (AZA)
Incident Category:
Animal Death (AD)
Species:
Marine
Animal:
Harbor Seal
Animal disposition:
Dead

Summary:

Milwaukee, WI – The Milwaukee County Zoo on Thursday announced the death of “Ringo” the harbor seal, a longtime zoo resident. He died on Nov. 26 during surgery, and the zoo said final necropsy results are expected in a few weeks. According to the zoo, Ringo was an estimated 46 years old. He was born in his natural range off the coast of California, and called the Milwaukee County Zoo home for more than four decades.

The zoo said Ringo had a slowly-progressing chronic eye disease in both eyes since 1985. He was essentially blind and used the touch of his whiskers to navigate. Ringo’s right eye ruptured in August, creating a hole in the cornea. The rupture site did not heal, and the zoo team determined the eye needed to be removed due to the risk of infection. He was anesthetized on Nov. 26 and experienced complications during the procedure and was unable to be revived. The zoo said anesthesia on seals can be complex at any age due to their unique anatomy and physiological dive response.

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