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CHATTANOOGA, TN – The Chattanooga Zoo has announced the loss of Artemus, a male chimpanzee, who died last week during a routine medical check-up. According to a post from the zoo on Facebook, Artemus stopped breathing while under anesthesia, and no heart rate was detected.

Despite immediate CPR efforts by the veterinary team, Artemus could not be revived. The zoo says initial findings from a gross necropsy indicated that the right side of Artemus’ heart was enlarged and dilated, conditions not observed in previous check-ups. Full necropsy results are pending to determine the exact cause of death.

ST CLOUD, FL – A kangaroo spotted hopping in the middle of a St. Cloud road earlier this week was later captured and taken to a nearby wildlife preserve. The male kangaroo, now named Hickory as he was found along Old Hickory Tree Road, remained a mystery for two days, until officials found his owner.

Late Wednesday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission said a 27-year-old man was charged with two second-degree misdemeanors related to the animal’s escape and the owner’s failure to have proper state permits. The owner also was given a warning for having an enclosure that did not meet the approved caging requirement.

The kangaroo will remain at the wildlife preserve until the owner improves his enclosure to meet state codes. A follow-up inspection is scheduled for next week, and the animal could be returned then, FWC said. FWC said that the animal was trapped later that day after being “chemically immobilized,” the station reported. The agency also told the station Monday it was investigating where the kangaroo came from and noted that it had received multiple reports about the out-of-place animal.

MACON COUNTY, AL – A runaway kangaroo named Sheila shut down a stretch of interstate in Alabama on Tuesday before state troopers and the animal’s owner wrangled the marsupial.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said the kangaroo was spotted Tuesday hopping along the side of Interstate 85 in Macon County, which is between Montgomery and Auburn. State troopers shut down both sides of the interstate for the safety of motorists. The animal’s owner and troopers were able to capture her, Capt. Jeremy J. Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said. The owner used a dart to tranquilize the animal and recapture her. The family runs a pumpkin patch and petting zoo.

TAMPA, FL – ZooTampa has announced the loss of an endangered Florida panther named Walter. Walter, estimated to be 12 years old, was one of three endangered Florida panthers at the zoo. He arrived at the zoo in 2017 for emergency care after he was discovered in Highlands County with severe injuries to his neck and paw from a snare trap.

To save his life, most of Walter’s front left paw was removed. Walter was unable to return to the wild and remained at ZooTampa, serving as an “ambassador” for his species. Zoo staff said Walter’s health significantly declined a few days ago and despite around-the-clock medical intervention, he continued to decline. It unclear what exactly caused Walter’s death.

CHATTANOOGA, TN – The Chattanooga Zoo posted on their social media platforms regarding a peacock’s disappearance from the zoo on the afternoon of May 2, 2025. A resident nearby named Eric Spear sent the zoo a direct message via Instagram saying he could see the peacock from his location.

Zoo staff quickly drove to the area and were able to retrieve the peacock and return him to the zoo.

Director of Marketing and Communications at the Chattanooga Zoo Jake Cash says zoo staff are going to keep him inside and do a veterinary check up to make sure that everything is fine.