FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo says an elderly Amur leopard has died from cancer.
It said Tuesday the cat named Ussuri died April 23 at the age of 18. He outlived the median life expectancy of the leopards by a few months.
The zoo says Ussuri died of cancer affecting the back of his throat and lymph nodes in his neck.
It says Ussuri came to the zoo in 2016 was known to be a talkative cat, and zookeepers say they will miss his morning and evening greetings that were half meow/half growl.
This marks the third death at the zoo in recent weeks. In mid-April, the zoo announced two sea lions died within weeks apart. The animals were sisters and joined the zoo in 2002.
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