Milwaukee County Zoo announces the death of Ringo the seal
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Milwaukee County Zoo announced the death of Ringo the harbor seal on Thursday, Dec. 5.
According to the zoo, Ringo died on Tuesday, Nov. 26. Ringo was an estimated 46 years old.
Ringo arrived at the Milwaukee County Zoo in 1979.
The zoo said that Ringo had a slowly progressing eye disease since 1985. They say he was essentially blind and used the touch of his whiskers to navigate.
Ringo's eye ruptured in August and later needed surgery. The zoo said Ringo experienced complications during the procedure and was unable to be revived.
According to the Associations of Zoos and Aquariums, the average life expectancy of a harbor seal in human care is around 23 years old. At 46, Ringo was the second oldest living harbor seal in an AZA accredited organization in North America.
