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• May 7, 2008 3:41 pm US/Mountain
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  34-Year-Old Hippo Dies At Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

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34-Year-Old Hippo Dies At Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) ― A necropsy is planned for a hippopotamus that was euthanized this week at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

The 34-year-old Nile hippo, named Maggie, was euthanized late Tuesday after veterinarians determined she was suffering from arthritis and probable kidney failure.

Zoo Director of Conservation and Animal Health Dr. Della Garelle said Maggie's "chronic lameness" had led to significant weight loss and overall deterioration in body condition.

Maggie was born at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs in February 1974, and spent her entire there, giving birth to 10 calves and becoming a favorite of zoo visitors.

The zoo says she enjoyed getting her teeth brushed and was fond of melons, peanut butter sandwiches and "ice treats."

A hippo's normal life span is 35 to 40 years.

(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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