R.I.P. Julie the Hippo

Born in Memphis 51 years ago, Julie has spent her whole life here. The Memphis Zoo mourns:

She lived a long, full life, producing ten offspring. Her last two calves are well-known in the Memphis community. Twins "Splish" and "Splash," named by native Memphian Cybill Shepherd, were born on Christmas Day 1988. Splish still resides in the Memphis Zoo.
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Julie is preceded in death by her mate, "Ubei," who died of problems related to arthritis in 1995. He was 41, and was the father of all her calves. Julie and Splish come from a Memphis hippo lineage dating all the way back to 1914.
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"Julie has been one of the Zoo favorites," said Gail Karr, Memphis Zoo Assistant Curator. ".... She has been a figurehead, and it will be hard to imagine her not here. All Zoo staff members have a heavy heart today as we say goodbye to the Memphis Zoo's oldest resident."
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The Memphis Zoo will work with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to acquire a new companion for Splish at the Zoo's hippo exhibit.Plans are currently under way for constructing the Zoo's new hippo home, Zambezi River Hippo Camp. This exhibit will feature a state-of-the-art environment for the hippos, complete with underwater viewing areas.

ABC 24 says,

Zoo keepers and veterinarians saw Julie's health decline dramatically earlier this month and placed Julie in hospice care. After closely monitoring her health, the decision was made to euthanize Julie in order to avoid prolonged suffering.

WMCTV has a report, as does Fox13.

The photo at the top of the post is from the The Memphis Zoo web site.