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Famed Dolphin's Adoptive Mother Dies At Florida Aquarium

CLEARWATER (CBSMiami/AP) – Panama, the adoptive mother of Winter, the star of the film Dolphin Tale, has died at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

Panama was close to 40-years-old when she died Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The average lifespan for a dolphin in the wild is about 25 years.

Aquarium officials say Panama had gone a few days with poor appetite, sluggish behavior and abnormal blood tests.

The bottlenose dolphin was the first friend and tank mate of Winter, the dolphin with a prosthetic tail.

Panama was deaf when she was found stranded on a Panama City beach in 2000. She was rescued and sent to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in 2001. She and Winter shared a tank until Winter's"sister" named Hope arrived in December 2010.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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