The Louisville Zoo is mourning the loss of one of their newest babies.The zoo announced that Emmy, a seal pup that was just 7 weeks old, died this week.Emmy was born on April 29. She died on Monday.The zoo said the pup was born underweight and had not been gaining weight as fast as expected, despite good maternal care from her mother, Tonie. As a result, Glacier Run keepers and veterinary staff intervened to provide supportive care through supplemental feeding and fluid therapy. Despite their efforts, Emmy was still unable to gain weight, the zoo said.Zoo officials said that while her passing has been tough on the Louisville Zoo team, this is not an uncommon occurrence in nature. They said up to one-third of harbor seal pups don’t survive on the coasts due to starvation, malnutrition, infection and predation.”Losing an animal — especially this young — is always hard,” said Dr. Zoli Gyimesi, Zoo Senior Veterinarian. “I’m so proud of the staff for all their efforts; we gave Emmy every chance we could. We are grateful for the many consultations provided by experts around the country and we appreciate the community’s support.”A necropsy will be performed and results will be released at a later date.
The Louisville Zoo is mourning the loss of one of their newest babies.
The zoo announced that Emmy, a seal pup that was just 7 weeks old, died this week.
Emmy was born on April 29. She died on Monday.
The zoo said the pup was born underweight and had not been gaining weight as fast as expected, despite good maternal care from her mother, Tonie.
As a result, Glacier Run keepers and veterinary staff intervened to provide supportive care through supplemental feeding and fluid therapy.
Despite their efforts, Emmy was still unable to gain weight, the zoo said.
Zoo officials said that while her passing has been tough on the Louisville Zoo team, this is not an uncommon occurrence in nature. They said up to one-third of harbor seal pups don’t survive on the coasts due to starvation, malnutrition, infection and predation.
“Losing an animal — especially this young — is always hard,” said Dr. Zoli Gyimesi, Zoo Senior Veterinarian. “I’m so proud of the staff for all their efforts; we gave Emmy every chance we could. We are grateful for the many consultations provided by experts around the country and we appreciate the community’s support.”
A necropsy will be performed and results will be released at a later date.
