Famously stubborn seal at NC zoo dies after 13 years of rolling his eyes at staffers
Paco spent 13 years keeping his caretakers on their toes at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro.
The stubborn harbor seal was known for rolling his eyes and making it clear when he didn’t want to do things, according to a Facebook post from the North Carolina Zoo. But he was also patient and “craved challenges.”
“(He) always made his keepers think and try new ways of doing things,” one of his keepers said. “And no matter what, he always made us laugh and smile. From the goofy looks to the exasperated eye rolls when we weren’t doing something to his liking, to the crazy spurts of energy during sessions, to the underwater grumblings and vocals during the summer season.”
The zoo announced Wednesday on Facebook that Paco had passed away. Staff doesn’t yet know what caused his death, but the zoo said he had a large mass on his lung.
The zoo said Paco was “loved dearly by his keepers,” who described him as intelligent, sassy and strong.
“He was the handsomest ham ever,” one of his keepers said, according to the zoo.
Harbor seals have a lifespan of 25 years, according to the zoo. They can grow up to 5.5 feet and 275 pounds, and their “torpedo-shaped” bodies make them “incredibly efficient” in the water.
They’re “graceful swimmers,” but tend to be more solitary than sea lions or other seal species, the zoo says. They can also stay under water for up to 10 minutes.
The zoo said that it shared the news of Paco’s death with “heavy hearts.”
“He was truly one of a kind,” one of his keepers said, according to the Facebook post.
This story was originally published August 11, 2021 at 3:43 PM with the headline "Famously stubborn seal at NC zoo dies after 13 years of rolling his eyes at staffers."
