WASHINGTON — Squeegee, the National Zoo’s 31-year-old male harbor seal, died Wednesday following a medical exam.
Keepers had been monitoring the seal for several weeks after discovering blood in his urine. A medical examination revealed that he suffered from several kidneys stones and blood work showed that his kidneys had been compromised.
During recovery from the procedure, the elderly seal stopped breathing and went into cardiac arrest. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful, the National Zoo said in a Friday news release.
The median life expectancy for male harbor seals is 25 in the wild, with those in human care reach 30 or more. The marine mammals are native to both the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans and can be found in more locations around the globe than any other seal species.
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