Utica Zoo Loses Sea Lion Pup: Investigation Into the Cause of Death Underway
UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - The Utica Zoo's sea lion pup, Jack, passed away unexpectedly sometime this morning. Caretakers at the zoo say the pup was, "alive and active" during his breakfast feeding but when they returned for a noon feeding Jack was found at the bottom of the pool. Jack was then transferred, unresponsive, to the zoo's veterinary center where officials say they worked on him for over 40-minutes. Dr. Ellen Hilton, zoo veterinarian, found no obvious cause of death and Jack's body has been transferred to Cornell University for a thorough examination, the results of which are pending. Beth Irons, Executive Director of the Utica Zoo, says," The Utica Zoo maintains industry best practices, adheres to expert zoological recommendations and our sea lion family has been healthy and hardy and has been enjoyed by thousands of visitors each year. This is a sudden and painful loss for the Utica Zoo and the community that loved him." The following comments do not necessarily represent the views of NBC-WKTV News Channel 2. Users have agreed to these terms and in doing so accept full responsibility for their comments. Moderation is limited. Monday, Sep 15 at 11:59 PM concerned wrote ...For those that comment negatively, I do hope you are speaking from an educated perspective. As a zoo member, my encounters with staff have always confirmed that they are all highly educated in their respective fields and the animals are cared for with the utmost professionalism. The zoo may not receive the funding that it needs but the animals are always priority number one. Inappropriate? Alert Us!Monday, Sep 15 at 9:39 PM mother wrote ...I'm a mother of a toddler and we visited the zoo a few weeks ago a my daughter loved it.I'm sad the head about the passing a the sea lion. Inappropriate? Alert Us!Monday, Sep 15 at 2:52 PM Disgusted wrote ...We can trash the zoo and the the people that work there all day long. They do the best that they can with the very limited resources that they have. It is a sad day when we can say "people it is an animal" That just goes to show that we as humans are so unsensitive. Vanessa you would rather drive further away to go to a better zoo.. Why not donate the gas money you spend each time to your hometown zoo, wouldn't that make sense.Why not stop complaining and put your money where your mouth is! Inappropriate? Alert Us!Monday, Sep 15 at 2:41 PM Anonymous wrote ...I work there and the entire staff works thier VERY hardest. It is the most amazing place to be grateful to be working at. My walk from my car into the zoo changes my whole mood into a beautiful dream. The animals have touching bonds with all of thier caretakers. All of the precious animals are taken care of with the highest of standards. Please do not judge until you are in the zoo's shoes. Jack is a terrible loss to our family. Inappropriate? Alert Us!Monday, Sep 15 at 11:04 AM TO wow wrote ...I also concur with the other poster that said they prefer the animals that are not out hitting their young on bikes, sexually abusing their young, and don't kill each other daily because their mother didn't hug them enough. Nor do they attempt to get over on each other for monetary gain. Most wildlife just exist to survive, if they kill it is to protect, eat, or for the betterment of their group. I feel those drives are far more noble than the garbage we read that humans do daily. Inappropriate? Alert Us!Monday, Sep 15 at 9:44 AM Laurie wrote ...I'm very sad to year about the loss of Jack. My thoughts and prayers are with the staff and Lenny & Munchkin. As to the people with your negative comments, keep them to yourself! Obviously you have never owned an animal to know what is like to lose one! They are not just an animal, they are a family member. As for the zoo they do the best they can with the funding they have. The animals are well taken care of. I hope we never lose the zoo it would be terrible loss for the city! Inappropriate? Alert Us!Monday, Sep 15 at 7:41 AM samstersmom wrote ...To Wow- Animals are innocent so that's why I grieve when something bad happens to them. Why don't you get some compassion for helpless animals? Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Sep 14 at 9:51 PM to wow wrote ...there are people who love animals and i am one of them. we animal lovers do grieve for humans too. but lately i prefer the ones in cages not the ones on the street of utica shooting and killing each other. have you read the news lately thats a lot of grieving in utica. Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Sep 14 at 9:09 PM a member wrote ...I grieve when animals AND human beings die. I was there today and that sea lion pool was eerily quiet. You can tell the parents are really sad and depressed. I felt so sad for them. The zoo does the best it can with what little it has. It needs more support, not debasing. We are lucky to have our zoo, and it would be a great loss if it were to close. Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Sep 14 at 8:56 PM Anonymous wrote ...Then Vanessa you can go to different city zoo and if we are lucky move to another city too. In my opinion I really enjoy the utica zoo as a nice afternoon place to take children. The staff is trying to do the best they can with the funding that they get. I am deeply saddened to hear about jack. I really enjoyed seeing all the animals. I am sure it was not something that the zoo could control. Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Sep 14 at 2:42 PM wow wrote ...Oh my goodness! All of you who have responded so far are making me laugh. For Pete’s sake - it was a sea lion! More of you should grieve when a human being dies, not an animal. It seems like people in America have more pity when an animal dies. Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Sep 14 at 10:58 AM Vanessa wrote ...That zoo is horrible, even the workers at other zoos in the state will tell you, animals are sent there to die! I hope this gets the Utica Zoo shut down for good. I don't mind spending the extra time in the car to get to a diffrent zoo, where the animals are treated better and cared for the right way! Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Sep 14 at 7:50 AM What an emotional blow.... wrote ...For some reason when I got online today I thought we would have some shocking local news. I saw the Sea Lion feeding a few weeks ago at the zoo. Those animals are awesome...as well as their handlers. I've very sad to hear this news. Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Sep 14 at 3:55 AM Nike wrote ...Close down the Utica Zoo already... it's fairly obvious that these poor animals would be better off elsewhere and the taxpayers of Utica and OC would be better off also. Inappropriate? Alert Us!Saturday, Sep 13 at 11:03 PM a member wrote ...I am so sad to hear this. Lenny and Munchkin must be grieving horribly. Inappropriate? Alert Us!Saturday, Sep 13 at 8:24 PM fans wrote ...my daughter and I saw the sea lions at this years earthday at the zoo.she's a brownie.our condolances to the handlers and all zoo staff on the sudden loss of little jack,and also to the remaining sea lions. Inappropriate? Alert Us!Saturday, Sep 13 at 6:44 PM I'm so sorry wrote ...for the staff at the Zoo. My prayers are with you in this time of sadness. Inappropriate? Alert Us!Add a commentMost Popular
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