Lolita’s necropsy was performed at a prestigious university on August 19th. It was conducted by some of the most reputable veterinarians and pathologists in America led by Dr. Judy St Leger, who is a prominent expert in the field. Dr. St. Leger is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathology with more than 20 years of experience in marine mammal pathology. She has worked with free ranging orcas and orcas in human care, publishing 5 peer-reviewed papers on the matter, and is coauthor of the Killer Whale Necropsy Guidelines. The necropsy was conducted with the presence of a Veterinary Medical Officer for the NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Fisheries Science Center and leader of the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program, and supported by highly skilled pathologists.
Dr. St. Leger pinpoints the following findings related to the cause of death, based on gross and histologic exams, and the additional post-mortem findings: acute and chronic bronchointerstitial pneumonia and renal degeneration, and a chronic condition of the heart implying the degeneration of the cardiac valves.
The results of the analysis performed indicate that the death was due to the progression of multiple chronic conditions some of which derived from age. Lolita was one of the longest-lived orcas under human care to date, exceeding the average life expectancy in the wild by several years. We miss her deeply and honor her memory every day.
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Miami Seaquarium, located in beautiful Key Biscayne in Miami, Florida, has been educating and entertaining families since 1955, and became a member of The Dolphin Company in 2022. Since then and as a leading marine conservation institute, more than 50% of their benefits are used for the rescue, conservation and protection of endangered species and their ocean habitat. For more information, please visit miamiseaquarium.com or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.