The Toronto Zoo is mourning the death of one of their moose.
“On Tuesday we said goodbye to longtime Toronto Zoo resident, Trilly, one of two moose living in the Canadian Domain. Trilly was euthanized following several months of decline. At 11-years-old, she lived beyond the average life expectancy of a moose in human care,” the zoo said in a release.
“She had lost a lot of condition and had known arthritic changes in multiple limbs. Trilly was quite thin despite extensive efforts to increase her feed intake.”
The zoo says moose are difficult to feed at an old age.
Trilly also had a ruptured tendon on the left hock, which would have led to joint instability and arthritis.
“Trilly kept Wildlife Care staff on their toes, and she routinely showed off her grumpy ears if she wasn’t getting what she wanted. She was very protective of her sister Lily, always keeping an eye on her,” the zoo said.
“While medicating her was not an easy task, she was very willing to voluntarily participate in scale training, allowing her keepers to keep regular tabs on her weight.”
The zoo says it believes in being transparent about all aspects of animal care, including births and deaths.