ZOO NEWS
A Tiger with Cat-titude
Meet Heran , a male Sumatran tiger who recently arrived from Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington , IL . He ’ s 11 years old and a hefty size at 272 pounds . Heran arrived non-visual in his right eye due to a mature cataract . Louisville Zoo veterinarians collaborated with a local veterinary ophthalmologist , Dr . Erica Tolar , to thoroughly assess his condition . Heran was diagnosed with glaucoma in the right eye , a painful condition secondary to a buildup of pressure within the eye . To alleviate his chronic pain , the decision was made to remove Heran ' s right eye and replace it with a silicone orbital implant .
Heran quickly bounced back from the procedure and has acclimated well to his new home . You can see Heran on rotation in the Islands .
New Bouncing Baby BongoS
The Louisville Zoo welcomed two new female bongo calves this spring . The first calf , born on April 16 , was named Sungara , meaning " hare " in Swahili , because she was born on Easter . The second calf , born on May 21 , was named Abigail . Both births were planned as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums ( AZA ) Species Survival Plan ( SSP ) which works to maintain the genetic diversity of managed animal populations . Sungara is currently off exhibit recovering from surgery for a hip displacement that occurred at birth . However , you can see Abigail on exhibit in the Africa zone .
A Significant SEA-EAGLE
The first Steller ’ s sea-eagle hatchling in the Zoo ’ s 48-year history occurred on April 4 to 21-year-old Pyotr and 20-year-old Anna . This is a culmination of 20 years of work , making the Louisville Zoo only the third accredited zoo to successfully breed this species . Nature can be harsh sometimes — two eaglets hatched originally and one passed shortly after . However , the older eaglet seems to be doing well . This is the first nesting in a long time for this pair of Steller ’ s sea-eagles .
This Steller ’ s sea-eagle hatchling is significant to the Species Survival Plan as a whole , bringing the total of Steller ’ s sea-eagle managed population to 18 . With only 5,000 of these stunning eagles in the remnant wild and a declining population that is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened species as vulnerable to extinction , this hatchling will help raise awareness of this magnificent species .
The eaglet and parents can be seen daily on a nest cam at their exhibit in Glacier Run .
10 • Louisville Zoo Trunkline • Summer 2017