Samson the hippo dies at Toronto Zoo

The hippo house at the Toronto Zoo is a little quieter Tuesday with the death of Samson. He was 43.

Born on July 21, 1973, at Quebec’s Granby Zoo, Samson came to the Toronto Zoo in April 1993.

His sister, Perky, had been living at the zoo since 1992. Two years later they were joined by their sister, Petal. Both Perky and Petal are still alive. Samson, who weighed 3,740 pounds, exceeded the life expectancy of a hippo, which is about 36.

His remains were sent to University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College for further study.