Columbus Zoo announces death of 4-year-old Tasmanian devil ‘Mustard’

COLUMBUS — The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium on Tuesday announced the death of its 4-year-old Tasmanian devil, “Mustard.”

Mustard was euthanized on Sept. 4 after his keepers learned he was “severely anemic,” the zoo said in a social media post.

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Zoo keepers noticed Mustard was quieter than usual and was unsteady on his feet, so he was anesthetized for a closer look, according to the zoo.

According to the zoo, the cause of his anemia was not evident on his CT or bloodwork.

“In a cat or dog, the treatment would involve a blood transfusion and care in an ICU, which, unfortunately, was not a safe option for Mustard,” the zoo said.

Mustard was born on April 3, 2018, at the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water & Environment in Hobart, Tasmania.

Mustard and two other Tasmanian devils, Sprout and Thyme, arrived at the Columbus Zoo in May 2019 through the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program (STDP), the zoo said.

“Mustard had a wonderful, fun, and feisty personality,” the zoo said.

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