Sea lion dies at Bloomington zoo

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- Staff at the zoo in Bloomington say its California sea lion has died.

Officials at the Miller Park Zoo say the 17-year-old sea lion named Cathy died Monday. She had been at the zoo since November 1994. Zoo superintendent Jay Tetzloff says officials don't know how or why the animal died yet, but he says captive sea lions usually live until about age 19.

Cathy was born in Omaha, Neb., at the Henry Doorly Zoo.

An animal autopsy, or necropsy, is planned on the sea lion at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. The zoo has one other California sea lion, named Gremlin.