Midge the Sea Lion

The art she created was featured in Oklahoma City galleries and used to raise money for animal aid organizations.

[1] Midge's artwork was "signed" after completion, by putting a purple nose print on the back of the canvas that resembled a small heart.

Due to declining health which caused her weight to drop from 175 to 125 pounds and require hospice care by zoo staff, a group of animal trainers, curators and veterinary staff members decided to euthanize the sea lion.

Tissue samples were taken before cremation so a zoo pathologist could determine exactly what illness the sea lion had.

"Midge has been a wonderful ambassador for the zoo by educating and entertaining hundreds of thousands of people about sea lions, conservation and the environment," Executive Director Dwight Scott stated.