The Alaska SeaLife Center says 22-year-old Woody, a Stellar sea lion, was euthanized Monday after his health had rapidly declined.
The Center says he had stopped eating and began losing unusual amounts of weight in recent months. In the wild, male Stellar sea lions rarely live beyond their teen years according to the facility.
Woody was born in 1993 and was one of the Center’s original residents, coming to live in Alaska from the Vancouver Aquarium in 1998 with two females, Kiska and Sugar.
Since his arrival, more than 2 million visitors had the opportunity to meet the 2,400 pound mammal and he was well known for his large personality and curious intelligence.
While Sugar and Kiska passed before him, Woody is survived by his two offspring, Ellie and Forrest, who were the first Stellar sea lions born in a North American aquarium since the 1980’s.
