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Location/Date

Description

Species

August 28, 2025
Lansing, MI

LANSING, MI – Staff at Potter Park Zoo in Lansing announced “with great sadness” Thursday that a cub born to parents Maliha and father Deagan-Reid on July 5 has died. The cause of death is unknown until a necropsy is completed. Zoo staff said the cub had been steadily gaining weight, was alert and appeared to be thriving prior to a sudden decline in their health. Sadly, red panda offspring are very fragile with a 40% neonatal mortality rate.

The cub was the fifth litter produced by the parents. There are around 130 red pandas in Association of Zoos and Aquariums institutions nationwide.

Other

August 28, 2025
Lansing, MI

LANSING, MI – Potter Park Zoo’s female rhino, Doppsee, was euthanized on Aug. 28 following a month of around the clock treatment for an illness, the zoo said in a statement on Friday, Aug. 29.

Although she showed some improvement after treatment for a gastrointestinal obstruction, her condition deteriorated again shortly after. Then, a second obstruction was found. Despite the efforts to assist the animal, her condition did not improve. Black rhinos are considered a critically endangered species, and efforts were made over the years to breed Doppsee.

Other

August 26, 2025
Bandon, OR

On May 15, authorities served multiple search warrants at West Coast Game Park Safari near the southern Oregon coast following an investigation into the facility, including inquiries into the animals’ welfare, Oregon State Police said. Police said they found 80 grams of methamphetamine, 44 firearms — including one modified into a machine gun, approximately 8 grams of cocaine and $1.6 million in cash, cashier’s checks, bonds and certificates.

Tenney was arrested on May 27 on charges of methamphetamine possession, manufacturing, and attempted distribution. He was later released on the same day and didn’t face any animal neglect charges at the time. A grand jury indicted Tenney on 371 charges — including 327 felonies — on Aug. 19, according to state court records.

The safari park closed down and more than 300 animals were relocated to animal sanctuaries or rescue facilities. A camel, chicken, and kinkajou were euthanized after being evaluated by veterinarians.

Other

August 26, 2025
Old Town, ME

OLD TOWN, ME – A large Tegu lizard is on the loose in Old Town, Maine. According to the WMTW, officials first thought the lizard was a monitor lizard, but after hearing from folks who have seen the animal, they’ve realized the lizard is likely a tegu. The lizard was last seen Sunday night, near Hillside Avenue. The animal remains at large. Police are warning residents to not go up to the tegu, and to let professionals safely capture him. Maine does not currently require a specific license or permit for owning a tegu.

Reptiles

August 24, 2025
Orlando, FL

ORLANDO, FL – A group of zebras at Animal Kingdom Lodge managed to leap over the fence of their enclosure. The video shows the striped escape artists breaking free, clearing what many believe to be an electrified barrier, before realizing they had no idea how to get back inside. While the zebras escaped their designated area, they apparently never shared the same space as the visitors. Disney has not released specifics about how the zebras were guided back, but the animals were eventually safely contained in their original enclosure.

Other

August 23, 2025
San Diego, CA

SAN DIEGO, CA – A polar bear, giraffe and gorilla all died within days of each other recently at the San Diego Zoo. The latest death occurred Monday, when Maka, a 30-year-old Western lowland gorilla, suffered a cardiac event, according to zoo officials. His sudden death came four days after Kalluk, a 24-year-old male polar bear; and Nicky, a 28-year-old Masai giraffe, who were euthanized on the same day to “minimize suffering” as they neared the end of their lives.

The week of tragedy began on Aug. 14, when a wildlife health and care team conducted a medical examination of Kalluk. They had noticed a change in his behavior for the past few weeks. Veterinarians later diagnosed him with kidney failure. Kalluk arrived at the San Diego Zoo as a cub in 2001 after being orphaned along with his sister, Tatqiq.

Nicky was not only the matriarch of her herd, but was believed to be the oldest giraffe in North America, according to zoo officials. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance staff members were still grieving when they were further rocked by Maka’s death on Monday. Maka was born at the zoo and became leader of the zoo’s bachelor troop. Zoo officials said that Maka was 5 when he was diagnosed with chromosomal abnormalities and had been receiving treatment throughout his life.

“Recently, he began experiencing brief seizures, prompting our team to monitor his wellness closely and schedule ongoing comprehensive evaluations,” zoo officials said on a recent Instagram post about his death. They said he experienced a cardiac event during this week’s exam. “Despite the heroic and sustained efforts of our wildlife health and care teams, we lost our gentle giant,” zoo officials wrote on the social media post.

Bears
Primates
Other

August 22, 2025
Front Range, CO

FRONT RANGE, CO – For the second time in five days, law enforcement officers on Friday tracked down a runaway emu on the streets of the Front Range. This time, it was animal control officers with the Weld County Sheriff’s Office who wrangled one of the giant birds that had gotten loose near Camfield. A resident helped an animal control officer find the emu, who was ultimately captured with a horse rope on private property.

The emu, believed to be someone’s pet, was taken to a safe spot while animal control waited to hear from the owner. In an update Friday evening, the sheriff’s office announced that the owner had been found. Four days and roughly 60 miles separated the Weld County incident, from another emu escape in Lakewood. Animal control officers there found an emu near the intersection of Colfax Avenue and Quail Street on Monday and were able to get the bird back home safe and sound – but not without their challenges.

Other

August 16, 2025
Fresno, CA

FRESNO, CA – A missing hawk was safely returned to a Fresno Chaffee Zoo. On August 12, the zoo made an announcement about Ripley’s return, informing everyone of how the rare animal escaped.

The zoo claims that employees went into the water and yelled at Ripley to try to entice him back. After roughly 20 minutes, the hawk flew to them, resulting a safe recovery and return to the zoo. According to zoo officials, Ripley is currently being cared for at the facility’s veterinary department and is in good health with only minor issues.

Other

August 16, 2025
Phoenix, AZ

PHOENIX, AZ – An orangutan at the Phoenix Zoo recently underwent surgery for a rare form of cancer. Zoo officials confirmed it’s the first documented case of sweat gland cancer in an orangutan. Several months ago, Zoo keepers spotted a small skin mass growing on Michael, one of four Bornean orangutans housed at the Phoenix Zoo.

Veterinary staff removed the mass for testing, which led to the sweat gland cancer diagnosis. Michael then underwent a second surgical procedure to remove additional tissue around the site the tumor was removed.

The zoo says Michael’s prognosis will be much more favorable if the cancer does not spread to his lymphatic system. In a statement, Phoenix Zoo Senior Vice President of Animal Health & Living Collections Gary West said the “priority is to give Michael the best chance for a healthy future.”

Primates

August 16, 2025
Liberty, SC

LIBERTY, SC – An arrest has been made in the theft of an African serval from a South Carolina animal sanctuary, but the cat remains missing, according to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. The serval was taken from Izzy’s Pond refuge in Liberty, a nonprofit that provides “lifetime sanctuary” for surrendered animals that can’t be released into the wild. Serval cats are native to Africa’s savannahs and reach about 40 pounds, experts say. They can be kept as pets in some states, but are known to exhibit hunting and territorial instincts that can pose dangers to humans and other pets.

“Investigators with the Animal Control Unit charged (a 20-year-old … former Izzy’s Pond employee with grand larceny after he snatched the wildcat overnight on July 10th,” the sheriff’s office said in a Aug. 7 news release. “The Serval cat named ‘CJ’ has yet to be recovered and investigators believe she may be out of county or even the state at this point. … Several individuals may have knowledge about the ‘CJ’s whereabouts.”

Investigators did not reveal how a suspect was linked to the missing cat. The arrest was made Aug. 2, officials said. Tips on the cat’s whereabouts are being sought at 864-260-4400 or dlmcqueen@andersonsheriff.com.

Small Cats

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