Animal obituaries
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 2002:
A.J., a 21-month-old male dolphin, died on March 22 at the
Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach, Florida. He fell ill
soon after the late February death of his half-sister Jasmine. Their
causes of death are unknown. A.J., Jasmine, and Allie, a
half-sister of both, were sired by Albert, the longtime Gulf World
star attraction. More than 40 years old, and unsuccessful in 30
years of breeding attempts, Albert suddenly fathered the three young
dolphins, by three different mothers, just before his death in 1999.
Manook, 6, white German shepherd of Francisco Deleon, of
Boise, Idaho, was found dead near his home from a hunting arrow on
March 13, with his black German shepherd companion standing over him.
Elvis, 6, a California sea lion who was rescued from the
Monterey Dunes on June 1, 2001 after washing ashore repeatedly with
a wound that proved to be a bullet in the head, died on April 13 at
the Indianapolis Zoo, his home since December 2001. The cause of
death appeared to be lymphatic cancer.
Sammy, 18, a Denver Zoo sea lion, was euthanized on
February 28 due to irreversible painful conditions of age.
Winnie, 26, an orca captured in Icelandic waters who
performed in England and at the former Sea World theme park in Ohio
before coming to Sea World San Antonio in 1999, died on April 12
after a month of illness, the cause of which is still unknown.
Leo, 17, the only lion at the Abilene Zoo in Abilene,
Texas, was euthanized on February 26 due to progressive kidney
disease, a painful condition of age.
Desert Mountain, who broke his shoulder in the Martell Red
Rum Handicap Chase, Anubis Quercus, who broke his neck in the
Martell Fox Hunters’ Chase, Manx Magic, who broke his neck at the
20th fence in the Grand National, and The Last Fling, who long led
the Grand National field but fell at the 24th fence, were all
killed during the three-day Martell Grand National steeplechase meet
at Aintree, U.K., April 3-5.
Fantom of the Opry, 16, who won 17 harness races worth a
total of $138,884, then served as a New York City Parks Department
police horse, was killed in an April 11 barn fire at Lovenest Farms
in Franklin Township, New Jersey, when he broke free from rescuers
and charged back into the blaze just as the barn collapsed. Ridden
by park ranger Marie Prendamano, Fantom of the Opry carried the U.S.
flag in two Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parades, and rode escort during
two New York City marathons. Prendamano and Michelle Varriano
retired him to Lovenest Farms in 1999, where he worked at a riding
camp for children.
Captain Caloosa, a 250-pound manatee found near Fort Myers,
Florida, on January 30, suffering from cold stress, died on April
15 at the David A. Stratz J. Manatee Hospital in the Lowry Park Zoo.
“Since 1991, the zoo has treated 101 manatees,” said Lowry Park Zoo
spokesperson Heather Sutton. “Of those surviving longer than 48
hours,” Sutton said, “85% have returned to Florida waters.”
#380, 5, a 315-pound male grizzly bear, was killed on
April 2 after breaking into a guest cabin three times in two days at
the Sleeping Giant ski area and trying to break into a parked pickup
truck. #380 was first captured and radio-collared in May 2001,
after repeatedly turning up at lodges, camps, and private cabins
near Yellowstone National Park, where he became known as a roadside
forager. Wyoming Game and Fish Department rangers killed a record 13
grizzlies during 2001 for coming into repeated conflict with humans.
People reported 123 potentially dangerous encounters with grizzlies,
nearly twice as many as were reported in 2000.
Laden, 40, an 80-ton male Indian elephant who had killed at
least four people in the Raika forest range since November, was shot
by Indian forest department staff on February 24 and ceremonially
cremated by villagers. The 36-hour job used six truckloads of wood.
His 14-member herd remained nearby.
