It has been a challenging time for the San Diego Zoo, where three beloved animals — a polar bear, giraffe and gorilla — died within days of each other.
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, were euthanized on the same day to minimize suffering as they neared the end of their lives.
“That week was hard. We were like: ‘We just can’t catch a break right now,’” said Nicki Boyd, curator of mammals, ambassadors and applied behavior at the zoo.
The three animals were longtime residents of the zoo, capturing the eyes and hearts of visitors while helping promote conservation efforts for their species.
The woeful week 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.
“Getting the call that he was in kidney failure was just a gut punch,” Boyd said.
Kalluk arrived at the San Diego Zoo as a cub in 2001 after being orphaned along with his sister, Tatqiq. Zoo officials said he was inquisitive, gentle and smart.
“His presence in Polar Bear Plunge helped foster bonds with his sister and Chinook, another orphaned female polar bear,” zoo officials said in a statement. “Through caring for Kalluk, the zoo has supported a large number of polar bear conservation projects over the years that aid in the protection of polar bears around the world.”
Kalluk had exceeded the typical lifespan of a male polar bear in the wild, which is about 18 years, according to zoo officials.
The same day Kalluk’s life was coming to an end, so was Nicky’s.
Nicky was not only the matriarch of her herd, but was believed to be the oldest giraffe in North America, according to zoo officials.
She helped show other first-time mothers how to care for their calves. Her son was also the bull of the herd.
“She just had a grandson born and to see her go up to that new mom and that new giraffe calf and nuzzle that baby, she’s always been a great leader in that giraffe herd,” Boyd said. “ She’s always been a fan favorite from guests to the employees.”
The wildlife care team was able to have quality time with Nicky, spoiling her with leaves from her favorite tree and allowing former staffers to visit and say goodbye.
“That’s what makes us feel better that her last day is not her worst day,” Boyd said.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance staff members were still grieving when they were further rocked by Maka’s death this week.
Maka was born at the zoo and became leader of the zoo’s bachelor troop, officials said in a statement.
“He was the oldest, most experienced member and patiently guided his younger brothers, Ekuba and Denny,” the statement read.
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.
Boyd, who has been working at the zoo for more than 30 years, said it was the first time three animals had been lost in such a short period.
She said the zoo is home to more than 12,000 animals, each with its own lifespan.
While death is inevitable, it’s always difficult for the wildlife health and care teams who spend years forming bonds with the animals.
Boyd said there’s some comfort in knowing the animals lived long good lives, which spoke to the attention and care they received from the staff.
“But you know, finality and letting go is always hard,” she said.
As a way to help with the grieving process, Boyd said they’ve made stickers of Nicky and Kalluk and plan to make some of Maka that will get distributed to staff.
Zoo officials have notified the public about the losses on their Instagram. Hundreds of people as well as other zoos across the country, have responded with empathy, expressing their love and support.
Boyd said the responses have helped her and the staff with their own healing processes.
“I’m so sorry! You guys have had to deal with so much loss these past two weeks, I’m so sorry! My heart goes out to you and all of the staff and volunteers,” one user commented on Instagram.
“Sending you and your teams our thoughts during this time! Be proud of the powerful conservation work you continue doing each and every day,” wrote the account for the Toronto Zoo.
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