Prepare yourself for heartbreak:
Eddie, the lovable and lascivious Oregon Zoo sea otter beloved the world over, has passed away.
Orphaned in 1998, Eddie moved to Oregon in 2000 after his convalescence at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California.
He lived to be almost 21 years old, a rare feat for his species, and was believed to be one of the oldest sea otters on Earth.
In a release provided to The Oregonian, Amy Cutting, who oversees the Oregon Zoo's marine life, said:
"Male sea otters seldom live past 15 years, so Eddie was among the very oldest of his kind."
At least he lived a long life!
And it was a deeply fulfilling one. Most notably, Eddie had ups--yes, the slam-dunk kind.
Back in 2012, the zookeepers taught Eddie to dunk as a way of helping with his arthritic elbows. Check out the air he could get:
Sea Otter Hoop Dreamsyoutu.be
I'm sorry, Lebron who?
Not only did his balling help his furry little elbows, but it made him an internet celebrity, sharing a famous-animals pantheon with the likes of Grumpy Cat and that monkey in a coat that got locked in an IKEA. A-list AF.
But Eddie was perhaps most famous for, um... let's say, his private time. Or we could say, he was a great believer in taking time for self-care. Eddie was, if you will, a firm believer in the maxim, "Treat yo self."
What I'm getting at is Eddie could--and did--ess his own dee. What an inspiration!
And if you think this is but the stuff of legend, that Eddie hid this light under a bushel, well think again: Eddie filmed his private time.
Let that freak flag fly, Eddie!
Sadly, Eddie's health went into rapid decline recently and the Oregon Zoo had to put him to rest. And on the internet, folks took the loss of this visionary little fur ball pretty hard.
Truly one-of-a-kind.
Somewhere in the clouds, Eddie is reclined, basketball in hand and ... um ... appendage in mouth, at rest and at peace. A fitting coda to a life well lived!
@GovPressOffice/X
