NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Aquarium of Niagara announced that its 35-year-old rescued grey seal named Della has died.
According to the aquarium, its veterinary team recently diagnosed Della with a severe condition in her shoulder, which was causing her pain and affecting her mobility.
"Despite interventions to address her comfort, Della’s health continued to decline," the aquarium said in a release. "With careful consideration for her overall quality of life, the veterinarians, in cooperation with zoological staff, made the difficult decision to pursue humane euthanasia. Pathologists are still identifying the exact cause of Della’s condition."
Della had also developed bilateral cataracts and became completely blind, but the aquarium said she was still able to participate in her husbandry through verbal and tactile cues and even fostered direct connections with visitors through the Aquarium’s seal encounter program.
The aquarium said Della was one of the most recognizable animals at the aquarium and was a fixture of the outdoor Rescue Harbor exhibit for a decade.
Della was rescued in 1990 after consistently interacting with humans off the coast of Delaware. Della spent time at Zoo Knoxville, Lincoln Park Zoo and Brookfield Zoo before going to the aquarium in 2015.
According to the aquarium, the median life expectancy for a grey seal in the wild is 25-35 years.
