Zoo News

The Akron Zoo is sad to share the passing of their Himalayan tahr, Amanda. At 20 years old, Amanda was the oldest Himalayan tahr on record in North America and the third oldest tahr globally. 

Amanda’s care team noticed a decline in her health recently and our vet team performed a full exam, which confirmed the progression of several age-related conditions. The difficult decision was made to humanely euthanize her. 

The Akron Zoo has received a grant of $68,000 over the course of two years for their diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion (DEAI) initiatives. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant ME-249297-OMS 21.

For the first time in its history, an Andean condor chick has hatched at the Akron Zoo. The male chick hatched on Friday, July 23 and is doing well. His parents are the zoo’s two Andean condors, Grock and Carlotta.

The Akron Zoo has received a “clean” accreditation inspection report following an intensive inspection and evaluation of the zoo’s operations by inspectors from the independent Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Accreditation Commission. The AZA is the accrediting organization for the best zoos and aquariums in the United States and 12 other countries around the world.

The Akron Zoo is joining the Bipolar Butterfly Project to help raise awareness and understanding for mental health. The bipolar butterfly sculpture is zoo-themed and now on display in the Akron Zoo’s Lehner Family Foundation Zoo Gardens.  

For the first time in its history, the Akron Zoo has welcomed critically endangered red wolf pups. The zoo’s female red wolf, Juno, gave birth to eight pups on Thursday, April 22. The pups father is the zoo’s male red wolf, Waya. 

Four of the pups were designated by the Red Wolf Recovery Plan, a program led by US Fish and Wildlife Services, to be cross fostered to a den in their native habitat, where a native red wolf had recently given birth. The pups, two males and two females, were transported to North Carolina on Saturday, May 1 and USFWS officials successfully introduced the pups to the foster den that day. 

The Akron Zoo has welcomed two Humboldt penguin chicks. The first penguin chick hatched on March 12 and the second chick hatched on April 5. Each chick is currently inside a burrow with its parents.

The Akron Zoo has successfully completed its comprehensive capital campaign, ROAR. The campaign reached its goal one year ahead of schedule, raising over $6 million for the Akron Zoo.

The rare blue American lobster adopted by the Akron Zoo from a Red Lobster restaurant last year will make her public debut at the zoo on Saturday, Feb. 13. Clawdia came to live at the Akron Zoo in July 2020 after restaurant employees at the Cuyahoga Falls location recognized the rarity of the blue shell. Clawdia resides in a habitat in the zoo’s Komodo Kingdom building.

Issue 47 for the Akron Zoo has passed. The levy supports a .8 mil renewal and a .4 mil increase and will support zoo programs, operations, animal habitats and services to the community over the next 10 years. Summit County voters approved the levy with over 58%.