Captive Animal Deaths 2023
This is not an exhaustive list and there will likely be many more captive animal deaths as many will go unreported. This list and is being constantly updated (sometimes retrospectively). It does not include the deaths of animals in sanctuaries.
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List of animals that are known to have died in captivity in 2023
Name | Species [1] | Date of Death[2] | Location of Death | Country | Reported Cause of Death | Reported Age at Death[3] | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Duchess | Dolphin | Jan | Mirage Dolphin Habitat | USA | 48 | [4] | |
Narnia Нарния | Orca | Jan | Mosvkarium | Russia | Intestinal volvulus | 16 ~ | |
Studebaker | Banteng cow | Jan | Lee Richardson Zoo | USA | [5] | ||
Unknown | Asian elephant | Jan | Kaebai Meechai Elephant Camp | Thailand | Died after eating bananas treated with ethylene gas | 20 | [6] |
Lalitha | Asian elephant | Jan | Muthumariamman Temple | India | While the elephant was unloaded from a vehicle, it fell down and sustained injuries. | 60 | [7] |
Savannah | Bengal tiger | Jan | Texas Zoo | USA | Euthanized - arthritis and kidney disease | [8] | |
Daisy | Orangutan | Jan 2 | Sedgwick County Zoo | USA | Euthanized exhibiting kidney and heart failure | 41 | |
Bafia | Western Lowland gorilla | Jan 6 | Chessington Zoo | UK | Euthanized | 54 | [9] |
Augustus | Rhinoceros | Jan 8 | Rolling Hills Zoo | USA | Euthanized after exhibiting neurological-type symptoms | 2 | |
Draco | Komodo dragon | Jan 8 | Akron Zoo | USA | Egg yolk coelomitis | 22 | |
Natalie | Southern white rhinoceros | Jan 10 | North Carolina Zoo | USA | Euthanized | 30 | [10] |
Unnamed | Tamandua | Jan 10 | Cincinnati Zoo | USA | 0 | [11] | |
Cinnamon | Coppery titi monkey | Jan 13 ~ | Denver Zoo | USA | Euthanized: late-stage kidney failure | 31 | |
Berlin | Polar bear | Jan 14 ~ | Kansas City Zoo | USA | Euthanized: hypertension and renal failure | 33 | [12] |
Oscar | Black-footed cat | Jan 14 ~ | John Ball Zoo | USA | Euthanized: suspected intestinal illness | 16 | |
Unnamed | Asian elephant | Jan 15 | Zurich Zoo | Germany | Undeveloped / weakness | 0 | [13] [14] |
Jewel | Asian elephant | Jan 15 | Los Angeles Zoo | USA | Euthanized due to declining health | 61 | |
Dusk | Red panda | Jan 16 ~ | Calgary Zoo | USA | Euthanized after a diagnosis that included progressive heart disease coupled with advanced kidney disease | 18 | |
Winnie | Grizzly bear | Jan 16 | Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo | USA | Gastric torsion | 10 | |
Cuban | Crocodile | Jan 18 ~ | National Zoological Gardens | Sri Lanka | Old age and animal-related diseases or death due to human negligence | Unknown | [15] |
Matilda | Moose | Jan 19 | NEW Zoo | USA | Euthanized | 12 | [16] |
Tahoe | Harris hawk | Jan 20 ~ | Zoo Atlanta | USA | Got into a fight with a wild animal in his secure outdoor mew and died from his injuries. | [17] | |
Hemingway | Dolphin | Jan 23 | Clearwater Marine Aquarium | USA | Suspected gastrointestinal condition | 32 ~ | |
Valentine | Wolverine | Jan 24 ~ | Zoo New York | USA | Euthanized with stomach cancer | 16 | |
Pin | Lappet-faced vulture | Jan 24 ~ | Dallas Zoo | USA | "an unusual wound and injuries, which pointed to this not being a natural death" | [18] | |
Ceiba | Jaguar | Jan 24 ~ | Saint Louis Zoo | USA | Euthanized | 20 | [19] |
Amalee | Asian elephant | Jan 27 | Zoo Praha | Czech Republic | Elephant endotheliotropic herpes | 2 | |
Revital | Orangutan | Jan 31 | Zoo Basel | Switzerland | 22 | ||
LeLe | Giant panda | Feb 1 | Memphis Zoo | USA | Heart disease | 24 | [20] |
Magadh | White tiger | Feb 1 | Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park (Patna zoo) | India | Blood protozoan disease | 'Cub' | [21] |
Johari | Eastern black rhinoceros | Feb 4 ~ | Little Rock Zoo | USA | Possible gastrointestinal symptoms | 27 | |
Stella | Jaguar | Feb 5 | Milwaukee Zoo | USA | Age-related health conditions that worsened | 19 | [22] |
Sammy | Dromedary camel | Feb 7 | Brevard Zoo | USA | 27 | ||
Rajah | Bengal tiger | Feb 9 | Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo | USA | Euthanized after declining health conditions | 18 | [23] |
Dodo | Asian elephant | Feb 9 ~ | Patara Elephant Farm | Thailand | Unknown | ||
Gracie | Moon bear | Feb 10 ~ | Roger Williams Park Zoo | USA | Euthanized | 13 | |
Ben | Bornean orangutan | Feb 12 | Brookfield Zoo | USA | Euthanized | 44 | |
Parker | Masai giraffe | Feb 13 ~ | Seneca Park Zoo | USA | Found unresponsive after getting stuck in the support structure of a giraffe enclosure gate and breaking his neck | 6 | |
Donna | Black bear | Feb 13 | Cameron Park Zoo | USA | Euthanized - skin cancer, arthritis | [24] | |
Hermie | American bison | Feb 13 | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | USA | Euthanized after he did not successfully recover from anesthesia | 12 | |
Hima | Snow Leopard | Feb 14 | Miller Park Zoo | USA | Renal disease | 13 | [25] |
Michael | Masai giraffe | Feb 15 | Santa Barbara Zoo | USA | Euthanized - arthritis | 15 | |
Big Mama | Boa constrictor | Feb 15 | Lee Richardson Zoo | USA | 33 | ||
Sukari | Lion | Feb 23 | San Francisco Zoo | USA | Splenic lymphoma | 20 | |
Babli | Zebra | Feb 23 | Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park (Patna zoo) | India | Cardiac arrest | 6 | [21] |
Mei Mei | Red panda | Feb 28 | Marwell Zoo | UK | Euthanized | 9 | |
Bud | Cheetah | Mar 2 ~ | Maryland Zoo | USA | Euthanized - gastrointestinal illness | 8 | |
Unknown | Golden tabby tiger | Mar 2 | Karachi zoo | Pakistan | Investigation being conducted[26] "had been ill for a long time and apparently failed to receive proper care" | 13 | |
Korol | Amur tiger | Mar 3 | Alaska Zoo | USA | "Complications from old age" | 19 | [27] |
Sandrine | Asian elephant | Mar 3 | Givskud Zoo | Denmark | Euthanized - "disease-related" | 57 | [28] |
Medu | Asian elephant | Mar 3 | Givskud Zoo | Denmark | Euthanized - "because she should not be alone in the facility" [after Sandrine was euthanized - see above] | 54 | [28] |
Gordy | Groundhog | Mar 3 | Milwaukee Zoo | USA | Euthanized - quality-of-life concerns | [11] | |
Sedge | River otter | Mar 4 | Beardsley Zoo | USA | "Sedge's death was unexpected as he was recently under medical care for an infection" | [29] | |
Rex | Rough-toothed dolphin | Mar 6 | Clearwater Marine Aquarium | USA | Rex stopped eating three days before he died - necropsy pending | 8 | [30] |
Glinda | Amur tiger | Mar 7 | Potawatomi Zoo | USA | Did not successfully recover from anesthesia | [31] | |
Kipele | Giraffe | Mar 8 | Denver Zoo | USA | Euthanized - mobility issues | 29 | |
Daisy | Giraffe | Mar 9 | St. Paul’s Como Park Zoo | USA | Euthanized - arthritis | 23 | |
Marius | Polar bear | Mar 9 | Copenhagen Zoo | Denmark | Electrocuted | "young" | [32] |
Glinda | Amur tiger | Mar 7 ~ | Potawatomi Zoo | USA | Did not successfully recover from anesthesia | [33] | |
Kiska | Orca | Mar 10 | Marineland | Canada | Bacterial infection | 49 ~ | [34] |
Vicky | Zebra | Mar 11 | Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park (Patna zoo) | India | 4 | [21] | |
Maya | Red panda | Mar 13 | Jardin des Plantes Zoo | France | Euthanized | 18 | [11] |
Blizzard | Artic fox | Mar 17 | Wildwood Zoo | USA | 10 | [35] | |
Sota | Giraffe | Mar 17 | Reid Park Zoo | USA | Euthanized | [36] | |
Yaqi | Asian elephant | Mar 18 | Jinan Zoo | China | Multiple organ failure | 3 | [37] |
Mrs. B | Bald eagle | Mar 20 | Great Bend-Brit Spaugh Zoo | USA | Euthanized | 49 ~ | [38] |
See also
Number of animals killed in zoos each year
List of deceased captive orcas
List of living captive elephants
Notes / references
- ↑ Exact species not always disclosed.
- ↑ Dates are sometimes approximate as institutions don't always release details of the animal death immediately it occurs.
- ↑ The age of the animal is sometimes not known exactly.
- ↑ Dolphin Duchess dies at The Mirage in Las Vegas
- ↑ https://www.gctelegram.com/2023/01/19/banteng-cow-dies-at-zoo/
- ↑ Elephant in Thailand dies after tourists feed it wrong food
- ↑ https://archive.ph/qEfoI
- ↑ Texas zoo gets black jaguar to replace Bengal tiger euthanized in January
- ↑ https://archive.ph/20ePL
- ↑ https://archive.ph/DeqCM
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Facebook
- ↑ https://archive.is/8z5de#selection-1747.53-1747.83
- ↑ Elephant Farha gives birth to a weak calf // Warning: sensitive content YouTube
- ↑ ZU SCHWACH ZUM LEBEN
- ↑ Oldest crocodile after living at Dehiwala zoo dies
- ↑ https://archive.ph/Kr6Qc
- ↑ https://www.yahoo.com/now/beloved-zoo-atlanta-harris-hawk-084817678.html
- ↑ https://archive.ph/zwKU5
- ↑ https://archive.ph/ErkUc
- ↑ UPDATE: LeLe the Giant Panda Dies of Neglect After Collapse at Memphis Zoo Shortly Before Return to China
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Another zebra dies of infection at Patna zoo The Times of India
- ↑ Milwaukee Zoo mourns death of jaguar Stella euthanized at 19
- ↑ Rajah, Bengal tiger that lived at Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo since he was a cub, dies at 18
- ↑ https://archive.is/0ugVf
- ↑ https://archive.is/ENMBV
- ↑ https://www.dawn.com/news/1741353/probe-into-death-of-golden-tabby-tiger-at-zoo-under-way
- ↑ https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2023/03/07/alaska-zoo-tiger-dead-19/
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Sad day in GIVSKUD ZOO: Farewell to the elephants
- ↑ Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo mourning the death of Sedge the river otter
- ↑ String of dolphin deaths at Clearwater aquarium prompts ‘expert’ examination Tampa Bay Times
- ↑ https://archive.ph/4Wcnj
- ↑ A polar bear has died of electric shock at Copenhagen Zoo
- ↑ https://archive.is/4Wcnj
- ↑ Lonely orca Kiska dies at Marineland in Canada The Animal Reader
- ↑ https://archive.ph/H0Sl7
- ↑ https://archive.ph/XuyfN
- ↑ https://archive.ph/mCNi7
- ↑ https://archive.ph/Th8JV
External links
Killing animals at the zoo The New Yorker
How many healthy animals do zoos put down? BBC
Killing Healthy Animals in Zoos: "Zoothanasia" is a Reality Psychology Today
Marius was not a one off: European zoos 'routinely' kill up to 5,000 healthy animals The Express
Captive animal birth, capture & death calendar Animal Advocate Alliance