The zoo will close early on Friday, August 9, 2024, to accommodate setup for Wild After Hours: Corks for Conservation (18+). The last entry into the grounds will be at 3:00 p.m. and the grounds will begin to be cleared at 4:00 p.m. Thank you for understanding.
Indoor Gorilla Habitat: From July 2 until approximately the end of the month, the western lowland gorilla troop will not be viewable in their indoor African Rainforest habitat while work is done on the viewing windows. The troop will be viewable in their outdoor habitat throughout the project (weather and animal participation permitting). The rest of the African Rainforest building will remain open and accessible throughout the project. Thank you for your understanding.
African Savannah Yard: Hartmann’s mountain zebras and ostriches will be off-view until the end of the year while we complete exciting upgrades in the African Savannah Yard, including the construction of a new Savannah Barn for the animals. Our giraffe tower will continue to be viewable throughout the project. Thank you for your understanding.
Bite-Sized
Red Tegu ‘Ginny’ was a long-time zoo family member with a largely unknown history. Before she came to reside with us, Ginny was someone’s exotic pet. Malnourished and in dire need of medical care, she joined the zoo family in 2014. Since then, she received exceptional care from the Animal Care, Health & Welfare (ACHW) team for gastrointestinal and reproductive medical issues over the years. Under the caring and watchful eye of her dedicated team, Ginny’s quality of life improved. In fact, Ginny had her own special daily routine which included a warm bath, a walk to stretch her limbs and an afternoon siesta under the warmth of a heat lamp.
Recently, her health was rapidly declining and an ultrasound and CT scan revealed a large ovarian mass. During surgery it was determined that the mass was inoperable. Coupled with her other chronic gastrointestinal and reproductive issues, the ACHW team made the difficult but compassionate decision that euthanasia was in her best interest.
Though we don’t know Ginny’s exact age, she was a mature female when she came to the zoo, and she spent nearly a decade with us as one of the zoo’s Program Animals. As an ambassador for her species, Ginny made an impact on wildlife education as her story reached thousands of students and campers every year educating them about the responsibilities of exotic pet ownership. Ginny was truly one of a kind and will be dearly missed. Please keep her caregivers in your thoughts during this difficult time.
Red tegu ‘Ginny’
