Blackie the hippo: Why was he put down?
Blackie the hippo, a Nile hippopotamus believed to be the oldest in North America, was put down Monday at an Ohio zoo. Blackie the hippo was about 59 years old, while most hippos live to 30 or 40 years in the wild.
Blackie the hippo is shown in this undated photo. The Nile hippopotamus, who came to the Cleveland Metroparks zoo from Africa in 1955, was euthanized Monday.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo/AP/File
Cleveland
A Nile hippopotamus believed to be the oldest in North America has died at an Ohio zoo.
The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo says the male聽hippo聽was euthanized Monday due to "advanced age-related ailments." The zoo says the聽hippo聽was named聽Blackie聽and was about 59 years old.
A zoo announcement says聽Blackie聽sired three male offspring after arriving at the zoo from Africa in 1955.聽Blackie聽was born in a game sanctuary in Tanzania.
The zoo says聽hippos聽typically live 30 to 40 years in the wild and can live longer in captivity.