Photo Credit: Abby Wood, Smithsonian’s National Zoo

From the National Zoo:

“We are very sad to announce that Pandora, our giant Pacific octopus, died yesterday. She was curious, charismatic and taught all who visited the Invertebrate Exhibit so much about octopus behavior.

Animal care staff estimate that Pandora was about 5 years old. (The median lifespan for giant Pacific octopuses is about 3 to 5 years.) Pandora came to the Zoo in November 2011 when she was about 1.5 years old. She lived at the Zoo’s Invertebrate Exhibit for 27 months—longer than any of her predecessors. Pandora was a wonderful ambassador for her species and will be greatly missed!”