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Article: Killer whale Keiko dies of pneumonia.(Animals)(Illness quickly overcomes the "Free Willy" star who won hearts in Oregon waters and moved on to Norway)
- Article from:
- The Register Guard (Eugene, OR)
- Article date:
- December 13, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Register Guard. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: From Register-Guard and news service reports
OSLO, Norway - Keiko, the killer whale made famous by the ``Free Willy'' movies, has died in Norwegian coastal waters where he remained after millions of dollars and a decade of work failed to coax him back to the open sea, his caretakers said early today.
The whale, who was 27, died Friday afternoon after the sudden onset of pneumonia in the Taknes fjord. He was old for an orca in captivity, though wild orca live an average of 35 years.
David Phillips, executive director of the San Francisco-based Free Willy-Keiko Foundation, said Keiko had been in good health but started showing signs of ...