BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Zoo is mourning the loss of one of its North American river otters.
In a Facebook post, the Buffalo Zoo said Ellie, a 16-year-old female river otter, passed away last month "due to multiple deteriorating age-related issues."
The river otter was born at the Pittsburgh Zoo back in 2005. She arrived at the Buffalo Zoo a few months later, along with her sister Daisy, back in October 2005.
According to the Buffalo Zoo, Ellie spent most of her time with her sister as well as the zoo's male otter Rascal. Over the years Ellie and Rascal had two litters of pups.
The zoo described Ellie as a great mother, adding that she loved to play and swim. Visitors at the zoo could usually witness her rolling around on her back in her habitat.
Her keepers describe her as being smart and very laid back compared to her sister.
You can read the full Facebook post from the Buffalo Zoo below:
Last summer the Buffalo Zoo welcomed a new North American river otter named Mindy from the Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington, Illinois.
The zoo announced her arrival back in August saying Mindy would be joining Rascal in the Otter Creek Habitat. They added that breeding would be unlikely since Rascal is an older otter, but said the pair were already serving as companion animals.
"They are usually chasing and playing with each other in the morning. They tend to sleep in their favorite hollow log during the afternoons," the Buffalo Zoo said in previous a Facebook post.
