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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Erin Keller

The National Zoo announces death of famed sloth: ‘We miss her dearly’

Zoo Athena Howie
Athena suffered from early-onset chronic kidney disease, which made it hard for her to keep weight on, zoo officials said - (Facebook/Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute)

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington D.C. and its visitors are mourning the loss of Athena, a Linnaeus's two-toed sloth known for her lively, mischievous personality, after her sudden death.

The 7-year-old sloth died overnight on November 13 following a sharp and irreversible decline in health, zoo officials announced Tuesday. Typically, female two-toed sloths live about 13 years, and males live 22 years, they said.

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