A sea lion from the Denver Zoo died in Washington, D.C. this week while waiting for a new habitat.
Nick has been staying at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C. since 2023 while the Denver Zoo constructed a new sea lion habitat. The 18-year-old sea lion was scheduled to return to Denver this fall.
The care teams at the Smithsonian Zoo said Nick recently began avoiding team members and his fellow sea lions and refusing food. They said he lost a significant amount of weight, and a veterinary team brought him in for an exam on Thursday to diagnose his condition. The veterinarians placed him under general anesthesia, and Nick’s heart reportedly stopped during the procedure. Their efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
Officials said he was rescued as a newborn from Seal Rock in North Laguna, California, when he was found with his umbilical cord still attached. He was so young that he had to be bottle-fed and hand-raised, zoo officials said. He came to the Denver Zoo when he was 10 months old.
Nick was known for his size, over 700 lbs at his prime, and his booming bark and playful spirit. Zoo staff remember him as goofy, patient and as a gentle giant…