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With great sadness, The Louisville Zoo said goodbye to near 18-year-old male lion Kenya today.
Kenya had been on what the Zoo calls a quality-of-life watch. Today, Zoo keepers and veterinary staff met to discuss his recent rapid decline and failing health.
Kenya was losing weight; his appetite had decreased and he wasn’t eating well. He was weak and was receiving treatment for thrombocytopenia, a condition characterized by low blood platelets and difficulty clotting.
The decision was made to humanely euthanize Kenya today due to a poor response to treatments and declining quality of life. A necropsy and complete pathologic examination will be performed.
“These decisions are never easy and certainly never made lightly,” said Zoo Veterinarian Dr. Julie Ter Beest. “His condition was worsening and he was getting more uncomfortable.”
The median life expectancy of lions in a managed care system is 16.9 years. In the wild an adult male lion may live 12 years.
Kenya came to the Louisville Zoo in 2005 from Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Missouri. . Kenya shared the exhibit with 19-year-old female lion Kariba.
To honor those who are serving and who have served our country in military service, the Louisville Zoo is offering active and retired military and their dependents FREE general admission on Veterans Day – Saturday, November 11, 2017.
Those wishing to participate must simply have proof of military service (including but not limited to: U.S Uniformed Services ID Card, U.S. Uniformed Services Retired ID Card, current Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), veterans organization card (i.e., American Legion, VFW), DD214 and citation or commendation) and present it at the Zoo’s admission windows.
In addition to free zoo admission, on Nov. 11, 2017, active, retired military and their dependents (with a military identification card) will also receive receive 10% off gift shop purchases and 50% off all food and drink concessions
In recognition of their service and sacrifices, active military personnel receive free admission year-round at the Louisville Zoo. Dependents of active and retired military members receive 10% off admission year-round. Military personnel are encouraged to check with the Leisure Travel offices at their bases in advance of their visit for other available discounts.
The Southwest Festival, a one-day event, starts tomorrow at Sun Valley Community Center in Valley Station. Following tradition, the Valley’s Woman’s Club will host a Bean Soup Dinner tonight, starting at 4:30 PM. All proceeds from the dinner will go to support the club.
Starting at 8:00 AM on Saturday, Plumb Lodge #862 will host their annual pancake breakfast. All proceeds from the breakfast go to fun their scholarship fund. This year the event will be headlined by the Louisville Crashers. Other attractions include Toddler Town, Kids’ City, Teen City, chance to meet many local businesses, and the annual car and motorcycle show. Food and drinks will be available for purchase on site.
While the event itself is free, parking will be $5 per vehicle, and includes a chance to win one of the many door prizes. Festival organizers request that attendees leave their pets at home, only service animals will be allowed into the festival area.
Earlier this summer, the Louisville Zoo received a male silverback gorilla (Casey) from the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. This week a second gorilla from Audubon Zoo arrived safely in Louisville. Bandia, a 20-year-old western lowland gorilla, will join Gorilla Forest after a standard quarantine period followed by acclimation time. Both moves were part of a planned collaborative effort across several accredited zoos within the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
Ultimately, the plan is that new silverback Casey will become the patriarch in a family group that includes one-year-old Kindi, surrogate mother Kweli, and female gorillas Paki and Bandia. In conjunction with these changes, the Louisville Zoo’s 29-year-old silverback Mshindi was moved to the Cincinnati Zoo.
“We believe this was the right time for these changes to occur. Creating the strongest and healthiest family group for Kindi is one of our primary priorities,” said Assistant Mammal Curator and Gorilla Forest Supervisor Jill Katka. “With the death of her natural mother Mia Moja last year, the family group of Paki, Kweli and Mshindi had been impacted and the dynamics altered. Our hope is that these new changes will allow Kindi to have a cohesive family group and will help create more viable family groups for the health and stability of all the gorillas involved in these moves coordinated by the AZA’s Species Survival Plan (SSP).”
The SSP serves as a safeguard for animals facing extinction in the wild. This highly coordinated partnership between AZA-accredited zoos is designed to facilitate a healthy and genetically-diverse population of gorillas in managed care. Through analysis of data from conservationists around the world, the experts at AZA determine which species are most at risk in the wild and can be best helped through breeding programs in AZA zoos. A Species Survival Plan is then created for each of these species. By transferring animals as a part of this plan, zoos maintain the diversity of a threatened species’ gene pool and ensure the best chances of healthy offspring so that the species may continue to survive.
Western lowland gorillas are considered critically endangered with an estimated 100,000 left in the remnant wild. There are about 350 residing in 48 AZA-accredited institutions in North America. Due to habitat destruction primarily caused by mining, logging and agricultural expansion, gorilla numbers continue to decline. Coltan mining in particular is impacting the gorilla population. Coltan is a black metallic mineral that is used in nearly every electronic device today including cell phones. The Louisville Zoo partners with Louisville-based organization Eco-Cell to collect old cell phones and help reduce the need for additional mining in and around gorilla habitats. The bushmeat trade and the Ebola virus are also major threats. Our conservation partners include The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International which works to protect and study gorillas and help local communities build their conservation capabilities and PASA (Pan African Sanctuary Alliance) is the largest association of wildlife centers in African helping to secure a future for Africa’s primates and their habitat.
A community design workshop will be held on Tuesday, October 17 at 6 p.m. at the Gheens Lodge at the Parklands of Floyds Fork to gather public input for the South Floyds Fork Vision, an ongoing process to create a visionary plan that will provide guidance for authentic, healthy, equitable, sustainable, and well-connected growth in the South Floyds Fork area.
The 4,000 acre Parklands of Floyds Fork is a transcendent asset for Louisville that includes four major parks linked by a park drive, an urban trail system, and watershed. The Parklands is expected to spur development and increase population in the area. The South Floyds Fork Vision will serve as a guide for future development and infrastructure investment in the study area.
The study area is bounded by Bardstown Road and Shelbyville Road to the north and south and the Gene Snyder Expressway and the county line to the west and east.
The South Floyds Fork Vision will be led by a team of representatives from Develop Louisville, Metro Council District 20, and local and national consultants, in coordination with representatives of the Parklands of Floyds Fork and Metro agencies. An advisory group, consisting of Senator Julie Raque Adams along with District 20 residents and stakeholders, has been formed to guide the process. Advisory Group members were recommended by Councilman Stuart Benson and appointed by Mayor Greg Fischer.
“The South Floyds Fork Area Vision is a project that will shape the future character of a large portion of District 20 surrounding the Parklands,” District 20 Councilman Stuart Benson said. “Please plan on joining us on October 17 to make your concerns and opinions heard.”
Once the Advisory Group has completed its work, the South Floyds Fork Vision will be forwarded to the Planning Commission and Metro Council for review and adoption. It is anticipated that adoption will occur in summer 2018.
For more information, visit https://www.floydsforkvision.com or https://louisvilleky.gov/government/advanced-planning/south-floyds-fork-area-study
Meijer presents “The World’s Largest Halloween Party!”
October 5–8, 12–15, 19–22, & 26–29, 2017
It’s that time of year when the Louisville Zoo transforms into a storybook land and a photo opportunity is waiting around every corner during the Zoo’s “World’s Largest Halloween Party!” presented by Meijer. This year the Zoo celebrates its 36th year of the popular party on October 5–8, 12–15, 19–22, & 26–29, 2017
Tickets are now on sale.
Children can dress up in their wildest costumes and set off on a magical journey through the Zoo.
The Party features costumed characters for guests to meet and greet in fanciful, larger-than-life storybook scenes. Trick-or-treating is offered for kids 11 and under. In an effort to be “green,” the Zoo requests that children bring their own trick-or-treat bag to the event. The Zoo will not provide bags, but reusable cloth bags will be available for purchase for $2 in the Zoo’s gift shop whiles supplies last.
Louisville pumpkin carving artist Donna O’Bryan will have her beautifully carved artificial pumpkins on display nightly in the Glacier Run Black Cat Crossing area with cutout themes ranging from iconic movie characters to famous stars.
Fun themed areas include: Continue reading
American Bus Association’s “Destinations” Magazine Honors Local Venues
The American Bus Association’s (ABA) Destinations magazine has chosen both the Belle of Louisville and the Muhammad Ali Center as a “Best of the Best Travel Supplier in 2017.” The Belle and the Ali Center are two of 42 winners that make up top hotels, theatres, museums, festivals, shopping experiences, and more across North America.
The Belle of Louisville was named a winner in the Travel: Poetry in Motion category. The Belle is the oldest operating Mississippi-style steamboat in the world. It celebrated its Centennial birthday in 2014, and welcomed nearly 4,000 motorcoach visitors in 2016. The Belle is one of the most popular group-friendly attractions in the city.
The Muhammad Ali Center celebrates the life and legacy of the world-class boxer and global humanitarian who was born and raised in Louisville. The Center took honors in the Museums: Not Your Everyday Gallery category. Since its opening in 2005, the Ali Center has proven to be a popular itinerary stop for all types of group travel.
Two Southern Indiana tourism partners were also recognized on this year’s list. Schimpff’s Confectionary in Jeffersonville, Ind., was named one of the best in the Shopping: Delicious Delectable category. The Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site in New Albany, Ind., was named in the Historic Landmarks: History is Fun category.
Derby Dinner Playhouse, located in Clarksville, Ind., was named to the list last year.
Destinations is the official publication of ABA, and its annual ‘Best of the Best List” Awards are determined based on evaluation of sites nominated by members of the 90-year-old organization, though the sites themselves do not have to be members. All the winners have been published in a special section of the magazine’s September/October issue, which will be available online for a full year.
ABA is a trade association for motorcoach operators and tour companies in the U.S. and Canada. Every year, the association provides more than 600 million passenger trips on charters, tours, and shuttles. Its members include motorcoach operators, tour operators, tourism organizations, as well as product and service suppliers.
Louisville hosted ABA’s Annual Marketplace in 2016. It will once again host ABA Marketplace in January 2019.