[Deathwatch] Clarry, World's oldest documented koala, 19

[Deathwatch Central <cdw@slick.org>]

/national2216EST0832.DTL 

Clarry, considered oldest male koala in captivity, dies at the San
Francisco Zoo 

Friday, February 8, 2002 
©2002 Associated Press 

(02-08) 19:16 PST SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- 

A male koala who was one of the first residents at the San Francisco
Zoo koala exhibit has died at age 19. 

Clarry was the world's oldest captive male koala documented by the
Australia-based International Koala Studbook. 

Wild koalas generally live 10 to 12 years, and females in captivity can
live into their 20s, zoo spokeswoman Nancy Chan said. 

His longevity was aided by a liquid supplement that contained dried
eucalyptus, zoo veterinarian Freeland Dunker said. Since 2000, Clarry
had been unable to chew and grind his teeth to digest eucalyptus
leaves. 

Clarry and another male koala arrived at the zoo in 1985 from the
Queensland National Park and Wildlife Service in Australia. 

At that time, the San Francisco Zoo was the third U.S. zoo to exhibit
koalas, which are native to Australia. 

©2002 Associated Press