Point Defiance Zoo veterinarians euthanized a 12-foot-long Burmese python Tuesday because of a spinal fracture, officials said Wednesday.
Odie, a 27-year-old snake that had been at the zoo since 1990, suffered from severe spinal disease.
He appeared healthy two weeks ago when he was brought out to soak in the sun, but head veterinarian Karen Wolf said the python wasn’t eating and clearly was in pain. It’s unknown how the spinal break occurred.
Odie’s size – 102 pounds and 12 feet 2 inches long – awed children who visited him in the Discovery Hut exhibit. It took four people to safely handle Odie when he was brought out of his exhibit.
A necropsy performed Tuesday found major abnormalities in his bone structure. Tissue and blood samples were sent for testing to learn more about the python’s disease. The Burmese python’s typical lifespan is 25 to 30 years.
Odie was the only python at Point Defiance and officials said there are no plans to acquire another.
stacia.glenn@thenewstribune.com
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