Rinny, Zoo Miami’s 9-year-old koala bear, dies. Officials are awaiting cause of death

Rinny, a 9-year-old female koala, was found dead Sunday morning inside her habitat at Zoo Miami, officials said.

The marsupial had recently been exhibiting a diminished appetite and lethargy, longtime Zoo Miami communications director Ron Magill said in a statement Monday.

Zoo veterinarians examined Rinny last Thursday in hopes they could find the underlying reason for her symptoms.

"Other than some gastro-intestinal dysfunction that she was receiving supportive care for, nothing was immediately found that would indicate that there were any serious issues," Magill said.

A necropsy conducted this week found "some small abnormalities," like an enlarged hear, gall bladder issues and dry stomach contents, but "there were no immediate results that clearly explained the cause of death," Magill said.

According to the Australian Department of Environment, Science and Innovation , koalas live on average between 10 and 12 years in the wild. Females can continue to breed into their teens and have been known to live as long as 18 years, according to the department's website.

"Males are thought to have a slightly shorter lifespan," the department says.

Rinny came to Zoo Miami from the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in South Carolina in September 2018. She was born Oct. 20, 2015, Magill said.

She and the zoo's male koalas, Milo and Coedie, lived at Zoo Miami's Posner Australian Center, Magill said. The center is also home to a pair of hairy nosed wombats, a family of Matchie's tree kangaroos and a cassowary, said Magill.

"Over the years, Zoo Miami has contributed tens of thousands of dollars towards koala conservation through its Conservation Fund and the Gail S. Posner Trust," Magill said. "It is hoped that Rinny's legacy will be the inspiration that she gave to countless visitors to care for and protect these endearing marsupials."