Eddie, one of the oldest sea otters on earth, dies at 20

PORTLAND, Oregon -- Eddie, who was believed to be one of the oldest living sea otters on earth, passed away, the Oregon Zoo announced Thursday.

According to the zoo, Eddie was nearing 21 years of life.

Eddie was rescued as a pup 20 years ago and he came to the zoo in 2000 after being unable to survive in the wild.

The zoo said he would mentor the younger otters in their enclosure, and as a senior otter, he would use the act of slam dunking a ball into a hoop to help him in his arthritic therapy.

His slam dunks are usually beloved around the world, the zoo said.

The average lifespan of male otters is between 10 and 15 years, but the species can live up to 23 years in the wild.