zoo-wise here. i'm just going to link to a couple of stories.
rest in peace thaao
Zoo Family Mourns Death of Oldest Living Condor in Captivity
Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo’s Andean Condor dies at a remarkable 80 years of ageBRIDGEPORT, Conn. – January 21, 2009 — Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo announced today that Thaao (pronounced TAY-OH), the oldest living Andean condor in captivity, has died at nearly 80 years of age. Thaao came to the Zoo in 1993, after living most of his life at the Pittsburgh Zoo. He was the only endangered animal at the Zoo that was actually born in the wild. An autopsy was conducted and has proved inconclusive.
“We were extremely lucky to have had Thaao with us for as long as we did,” shared Gregg Dancho, Zoo Director. “He was not a cuddly, lovable guy but we were happy to give him a good home for his twilight years. He will be missed.”
When Thaao was born in 1930, Herbert Hoover was president of the United States. As such, he was the oldest living condor in captivity and most likely the oldest condor in the world. The average lifespan of an Andean condor is approximately 50 years of age. With a stud book number of four, it is believed that Thaao was one of the original animals to have been tracked using the system. A stud book, also called a breed registry, is a list of all of the known individual animals in a breed.
Because Andean condors are an endangered species, the Zoo worked closely with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA’s) Species Survival Program (SSP) to ensure that the proper autopsy protocols were followed, enabling valuable scientific information to be collected and recorded. Biologists estimate that there are only a few thousand of these birds left in the wild. Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo also has been supporting the wild population of Andean Condors through the Zoo Conservation Outreach Group of which Dancho is Vice Chair............
Beardsley Zoo's Andean condor, world's oldest, dead at 80
By John Burgeson, STAFF WRITER
BRIDGEPORT ---- Thaao was born the same year that Mickey Mouse made his debut, John Dillinger escaped from prison, Mahatma Gandhi walked 200 miles to protest the British salt monopoly and Hostess Twinkees were invented.
Thaao, an Andean condor and resident of Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo for 17 years, died at the age of 80 on Jan. 6, it was announced Tuesday.
He was the oldest living condor in captivity, and most likely the oldest condor in the world, zoo officials said. In the wild, condors don't usually live past 50.
Pronounced "Tay-oh," the feathered octogenarian came to Bridgeport in 1993; he spent most of his life at the Pittsburgh Zoo. Despite all the care he received over the course of his life, he wasn't the sort of creature that enjoyed the company of humans.
"Thaao wasn't the sort of animal who would cuddle up to you," zoo director Gregg Dancho said. "He's a top-of-the-line predator and scavenger, and he'd never shy away from protecting his turf."............
pic: Thaao, the Andean condor who lived at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, in Bridgeport, Conn., seen here in 2005, passed away on Jan. 6th. At 80, Thaao was believed to be the oldest condor in captivity in the world. Photo: Phil Noel / Connecticut Post
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