Three Animals Die at the San Diego Zoo in One Week
Summary:
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.
Action take by Born Free USA:
Notes: