Tami, believed to be the oldest hippopotamus in captivity, died on Thursday at the age of 59 in her sleep at Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo.

She was found dead in the lake of the African-themed area where she lived in the Israeli zoo.

Tami was the only hippo at the zoo after the death of her partner Matti, a male, in 2006. Matti, 30, died after swallowing a tennis ball.

In a statement, the zoo said “she died at an advanced age, surrounded by lots of love and respect.”

“It is a difficult day for us,” zoo employee Gilad Moshe told the Israel Hayom newspaper. “A little like losing a friend.”

Hippos tend to live for 40-50 years. The mostly herbivorous and semi-aquatic animals are found in central and southern Africa.