Wildlife

Woody, the Alaska SeaLife Center's celebrity sea lion, is dead

An iconic Steller sea lion housed at the Alaska SeaLife Center has died, but not before leaving behind two rare offspring after a successful breeding program at the facility in Seward.

Tara Riemer, the president and CEO of the facility, released a statement Tuesday announcing that Woody was euthanized Monday at the age of 22. According to the statement, staff had been treating Woody -- long-lived among Steller sea lions, which in the wild have an average life expectancy in the teens -- for age-related maladies such as slow healing of injuries and arthritis.

"While male sea lions typically lose a significant amount of weight in the fall, Woody lost more weight at a faster rate compared to previous years," center staff wrote. "Despite attempts by animal care and veterinary staff to reverse this trend, he lost interest in food and stopped participating in regular feeding sessions over the past two weeks, culminating in profound weight loss."

Woody was the last of the center's first trio of sea lions, born in 1993 and arriving from the Vancouver Aquarium at age 5. The others, females Kiska and Sugar, died of cancers in 2010 and 2015 respectively.

Riemer said Tuesday staff were conducting an all-day necropsy of Woody but had been prepared for the sea lion's death.

"It wasn't totally unexpected," Riemer said. "He was just old."

According to the center, more than 2 million visitors to the center had an opportunity to see Woody, known for a gregarious personality as well as for tipping the scales at 2,400 pounds. Lisa Hartman, the center's husbandry director, said Woody would be dearly missed.

ADVERTISEMENT

"He was synonymous with ASLC for nearly 18 years -- our iconic face and personality," Hartman said in the statement. "Children have grown up knowing him. He commanded attention and will be missed beyond measure."

In 2013, staff at the center said Woody had impregnated two of three female sea lions after being introduced to them during an ongoing breeding program. Researchers have been seeking greater understanding of how female Steller sea lions both nurse pups and remain pregnant during much of their adult lives.

One of the sea lions with which Woody mated in 2013, 13-year-old Eden, gave birth that summer to a female pup named Ellie -- the first born in North American captivity since the mid-1980s. Two weeks after giving birth to Ellie, Eden again mated with Woody, producing a male pup named Forrest last July. Both Ellie and Forrest remain at the center, Riemer said Tuesday.

Staff at the center said Woody was old for a breeder sea lion but was being kept in shape by a relatively pampered life at the center. Woody retired from the breeding program late last year and was replaced by a sea lion named Pilot.

The SeaLife Center said it was setting up a pair of donation funds in Woody's memory, to honor the state and the children of Alaska. Details on how to contribute to those funds weren't immediately available Tuesday afternoon.

Alaska Dispatch News reporter Yereth Rosen contributed information to this story.

Note: This article has been edited to reflect that Woody was born in 1993 but didn't arrive at the SeaLife Center until age 5.

Chris Klint

Chris Klint is a former ADN reporter who covered breaking news.

ADVERTISEMENT