Animal obituaries

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, January/February 2005:

Bolo, a right whale known to have calved six times,
1981-2001, was found floating 78 miles east of Nantucket on January
11, 2005, dead from unknown causes. She was the fourth North
Atlantic right whale found dead in six weeks. During her lifetime
the projected life expectancy of female right whales dropped from 50
years to 15, and expected birthings from five to just one, due
largely to more collisions with high-speed ships and more
entanglements in fishing gear.

Snorri, Pyranean mountain dog of Mick McDonnell, famed for
greeting visitors to the Viking Tour boat at Lough Ree, Ireland,
including the Irish national rugby team, was found dead on railway
tracks near Athlone on January 5, 2005. The Irish Sun reported
that police were investigating the death, after another dog was
rescued from men who allegedly discussed tying him to the tracks.
Lacumba, 15, jaguar mascot of Southern University at Baton
Rouge, Louisi-ana, died on December 26 due to kidney failure. PETA
asked Southern U. to stop having live jaguar mascots, a practice
begun in the early 1970s, but chancellor Edward Jackson told the
Baton Rouge Advocate that the university is raising money to build a
memorial to Lacumba, and will probably begin fundraising to build a
$500,000 habitat for a successor.

Roxy, 5, one of four California sea lions bought by the
West Edmonton Mall from the Blair Drummond Safari Park in Scotland,
was found dead on arrival in London circa October 19, 2004, en
route to catch a connecting flight to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
The death was not disclosed until mid-December 2004, when Voice for
Animals discovered that while four sea lions left Scotland, only
three reached the mall, which formerly displayed captive dolphins.
West Edmonton Mall spokesperson Kim Evans said no cause of death was
determined.

Titan, Police Dog #33 in Sydney, Australia, handled by
Constable Sean McDowell, was killed on December 29, 2004 while
apprehending white supremacist Luke Curtis, 23. After threatening
two men with an ax, police said, Curtis broke through a line of
officers despite taking three shots from a stun-gun. Titan forced
Curtis to drop one of two carving knives he carried, but Curtis
stabbed him three times with the other knife. Titan was in his 18th
month of duty. Police commissioner Ken Morney announced the creation
of an annual Titan Memorial Award for outstandng police dog work,
and said Titan’s taxidermically mounted remains would be displayed at
the Northwest Wales Police Academy.