Honolulu Zoo hippo Cleo dies | HonoluluAdvertiser.com | The Honolulu Advertiser
One of Honolulu Zoo's oldest animals has died.
Cleopatra, known as Cleo, was the second oldest hippopotamus in captivity in the United States.
A zoo veterinarian put her to sleep on Saturday because she was suffering from growing complications of old age.
The 3,500-pound hippo could no longer stand on her own.
She was just a few weeks shy of her 53rd birthday. Zoo officials said the typical life span for a hippo is 35 years, but that animals in captivity sometimes live much longer.
Cleo will be sent to a university lab for research and study. The Honolulu Zoo has two other hippos.