Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Jacksonville Zoo News

On October 12th, the zoo announced they acquired a (1.0) western lowland gorilla named Ubuntu from Zoo Knoxville in Tennessee. With the recent acquisition, the zoo claims they now house the largest gorilla troop in the United States.

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Joseph G said:
The zoo had an incident where a North American black bear escaped behind the scenes and engaged with a keeper. Unfortunately, the bear had to be shot and killed.

More on the zoo’s Facebook page: 登录 Facebook
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Awful :( Sounds like the keeper is in the hospital, though no idea on what the injuries are.
 
Elena said:
One of the local Jacksonville news outlets reviewed the incident report from the Sheriff's Office. Per their report, the door to the bear enclosure was opened when the attack occurred and the bear came out and went directly to the keeper, who suffered lacerations on her head, back and thighs.

Jacksonville zookeeper ‘viciously’ attacked by bear suffered lacerations on head, back, thighs: police report
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Sounds like it really was an attack, and the shooting was justified :( I hope the keeper comes out of it okay, the wording seems very careful about that.
 
Does anyone have any information on Tamu's sister, Laini (lions)? She was at Jax when Tamu's first cub was born, but she is not listed on the North American African Lion Population thread anywhere (completed last month).
 
Sarus Crane said:
The zoo announced that starting on October 17th the elephant habitat will be closed off for repairs. There is no schedule for as to when the repairs will be completed. I'm guessing they will be repainting the fence posts black like how it used to be or perhaps it could be something entirely different.

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The boy and I were there yesterday, the ladies were out enjoying the afternoon weather. Only noticeable differences was barriers around the ‘watering hole’ and near the barn.
 
Sarus Crane said:
Kimacho the male Okapi has passed away. This is from the zoo's Facebook:

"With profound sadness we announce the passing of the beloved okapi at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Kimacho. Like humans, okapi can suffer from acute heart disease, and he had been under treatment for heart and respiratory illness for quite some time. He was getting progressively worse, so we made the tough decision to humanely euthanize him Thursday.

At 20 years old, Kimacho lived a long life for his species. He was born September 7, 2000 and came to our Zoo in 2010 from the Houston Zoo. For 11 years in Jacksonville, he served as an extraordinary ambassador for his endangered species and was a favorite among guests and staff alike.

Okapi are native to the dense rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and due to their elusive nature, were not discovered until 1901. Due to their unique markings, people first thought they were relatives of zebra, however they are the only living relatives of giraffe. Their species is threatened due to deforestation, poaching, and mining. We proudly support the work of the Okapi Conservation Project, who works with wildlife rangers and communities throughout the Okapi Wildlife Reserve to ensure the protection of the okapi and other species in the area.

Zoo fans are encouraged to post their favorite photos and memories of Kimacho. Our animal care staff and entire Zoo family appreciate your thoughts during this difficult time."

*Time to bring back the Cape Buffaloes!!!!!* :D
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Heartbreaking. He was Baby Deity’s favorite in the African Loop. I don’t have the heart to tell him.
 
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