Tilly, a 16-year-old otter, known for her motherly instincts and cameo on "30 Rock" has died. She was humanely euthanized April 30 due to declining health and old age, Oregon Zoo said.
"This is a very sad time, especially for Tilly's care staff," Jen Osburn Eliot, who oversees the zoo's North America area, said in a statement. "Some of our keepers were here the day she first arrived in 2009 as a tiny pup. She overcame adversity just to survive, and she helped other otters do the same."
Tilly came to Oregon Zoo in 2009 as an orphaned pup when she was only a few months old, Oregon Zoo said. She had been critically injured in an animal attack and was seriously malnourished at the time of her rescue.
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However, Tilly, named after Oregon's Tillamook River, thrived at the zoo and became renowned for her parenting skills, winning the zoo's "Mom of the Year" award in 2013. Tilly not only raised her own four pups - Mo, Ziggy, Tucker and Nellie - she was also the adoptive mom for rescued orphans Little Pudding and current Oregon Zoo residents Flora and Hobson, the zoo said.
"Young river otters are extremely dependent on their mothers, and Tilly not only raised her own offspring but three other young pups who had lost their moms and needed a second chance," Osburn Eliot said.
Tilly also earned fame for her cameo on "30 Rock." NBC's popular sitcom aired a photo of her in 2012, noting a resemblance to Tracy Jordan (played by comedian Tracy Morgan).
Once endangered due to excessive fur trapping in the 19th century, North American river otters are now thriving in healthy river systems and lakes in the Pacific Northwest. These social species are sensitive to water pollution and will disappear from areas with high human populations if the waterways are compromised, Oregon Zoo said, which is why they are considered rare outside the region.
River otters usually live up to 12.9 years in captivity, according to Oregon Zoo. Tilly, at 16, was considered geriatric for her species.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.