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Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium staff endure 'trying time' amid 3 animal deaths

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Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium staff endure 'trying time' amid 3 animal deaths


Three animal deaths at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium this month have brought “profound sadness” to its staff, officials said Monday during a news conference.

“This is a lot for our staff to deal with right now,” said the zoo’s president and CEO Jeremy Goodman, “It is very tough when visitors come up and constantly ask what happened. It is a very trying time.”

Three animal deaths coming in a short time period has left the zoo’s staff reeling. It closed its doors on Feb. 17, a Saturday, as staff members mourned the losses.

Still, it’s normal for a zoo to lose 15 to 25 animals a year, Goodman said. The Pittsburgh zoo has had five animal deaths since July.

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The number of deaths the Pittsburgh Zoo has reported over the last year falls within an expected range for a facility with a large animal collection, said Jill Nizan, director of conservation operations for American Humane, a

Washington organization committed to helping ensure the safety, welfare and well-being of animals.

Mrithi, the first-ever gorilla born at the zoo, died earlier this month at age 31. A male silverback Western lowland gorilla, Mrithi had recently been showing mobility problems, with spinal issues the likely suspect, according to a zoo curator.

A 2-year-old elephant calf named Tsuni died after a sudden and brief battle with a disease at the International Conservation Center in Somerset, the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium announced Feb. 15. Elephants from birth to age 8 are at highest risk for the disease, with an 85% mortality rate, a zoo spokesperson said at the time.

Then, an 18-year-old sea lion died while under sedation to diagnose an illness.

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Goodman said zoo life mirrors human life in that they celebrate births and milestones.

“The zoo world is no different than the human world in that regard,” said Goodman.

Only recently have they been sharing tragedies and deaths are something very new to the zoo, Goodman said.

“Our staff’s well-being is still one of most important things we are concerned with right now, and that includes their mental health, which is why we closed two Saturdays ago.

Goodman said the zoo provided grief counselors all last week to help staff.

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The Pittsburgh Zoo is one of six major zoo and Aquarium combinations in the U.S. and operates the only center in North America that focuses on the breeding and care of African elephants. It is home to more than 8,000 animals representing more than 600 species.

When the zoo closed, guests who prepaid for tickets were notified to make alternative arrangements.

“This has been a difficult time having lost these cherished animals,” said Ron Gruca chief advancement officer for the zoo. “We take this very seriously. We apologize for the delay in this briefing. We are committed to public transparency.”

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people and a weekly column about things to do in Pittsburgh. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.



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Pittsburg, PA

Man’s body found underneath trailer behind former Shop ‘n Save in Carrick

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Man’s body found underneath trailer behind former Shop ‘n Save in Carrick



Pittsburgh Police detectives are investigating after a man’s body was found underneath a trailer behind the former Shop ‘n Save store in the city’s Carrick neighborhood.

Pittsburgh Public Safety said late Monday night that detectives from the Violent Crime division responded to the area of Amanda Street and Wynoka Street in Carrick after a man’s body was found around 8:30 p.m.

Public Safety said the man’s body was found underneath a trailer and that he was pronounced dead by medics at the scene.

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Pittsburgh Police detectives are investigating after a man’s body was found underneath a trailer in the city’s Carrick neighborhood on Monday night.

Pittsburgh Public Safety


A photo provided by Pittsburgh Public Safety shows officers surrounding a taped off area and what appears to be a refrigerated trailer parked at the loading dock along Amanda Street behind the former Brownsville Shop n’ Save, which closed its doors last month

No details surrounding the circumstances of the man’s death were provided by Public Safety, who said that the cause and the manner of the man’s death will be determined by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office.

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The man’s identity has not been released.

Public Safety said the investigation into the man’s death is “ongoing.”



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Record number of peregrine falcons counted in Allegheny County

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Record number of peregrine falcons counted in Allegheny County



In the early 1960s, the peregrine falcon population declined so sharply that the raptors weren’t even nesting in Pennsylvania. But now, the National Aviary says a record number have been counted in Allegheny County.

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The National Aviary says six peregrine falcons were recorded in the county during the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. The nation’s longest-running citizen science project collects data on bird populations for ornithologists, the aviary says. It also plays a role in guiding conservation action, like what was needed to bring peregrine falcons back from the brink of extinction. 

Because of the use of DDT, peregrine falcons were no longer nesting in the state of Pennsylvania by the early 1960s, the aviary said. But after the harmful pesticide, which negatively affects reproduction rates in birds, was banned in 1972, conservation efforts have helped the peregrine falcon rebound. It was removed from the federal endangered species list in 1999 and Pennsylvania’s list in 2021. 

The record number of peregrine falcons in Allegheny County is thanks in part to the nest on top of Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning in Oakland. For the past two years, biologists with the Pennsylvania Game Commission have banded chicks born in the nest. Three were banded last year, and two the year before that. 

People can watch Carla and Ecco raise their family in the nest on a livestream camera run by the National Aviary. Carla laid her first egg of the breeding season on March 16 last year, so the aviary says the start of another season isn’t too far away. 

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Police investigating two late-night McKeesport shootings

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Police investigating two late-night McKeesport shootings



Police are investigating two shootings that happened less than 30 minutes apart on Sunday night in McKeesport. 

Two men were injured in the shootings that happened at two different locations. 

Allegheny County Police said that the department’s Homicide Unit was requested and responded to assist in the shooting investigations.

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According to police, officers were first called to the area of Lysle Boulevard and Huey Street, where a man was shot just after 10:30 p.m. on Sunday night.

KDKA’s news crew at the scene saw the outside of the Sunoco gas station along Lysle Boulevard lined with crime tape and what appeared to be blood on the front door of the store. 

Police are investigating two late-night shootings that happened in McKeesport on Sunday. Officers were called to a gas station along Lysle Boulevard and an alleyway near Madison Avenue around 30 minutes apart Sunday night.It’s unclear at this time if the two shootings are related or connected.

KDKA Photojournalist Bryce Lutz

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Police also had an area taped off around the intersection of nearby 5th Avenue and Huey Street.  The man who was shot in the area was taken to the hospital in stable condition.

Police said they are also investigating a shooting that happened in the area of an alleyway behind Madison Avenue, where another man was shot Dispatchers said the second shooting happened around 25 minutes after the first.

The two shooting scenes in McKeesport are located around 1/4 of a mile apart.

At the second shooting scene, KDKA’s news crew at the scene saw police taping off an alleyway between Madison Avenue and Petty Street. 

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Police are investigating two late-night shootings that happened in McKeesport on Sunday. Officers were called to a gas station along Lysle Boulevard and an alleyway near Madison Avenue around 30 minutes apart Sunday night.

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KDKA Photojournalist Bryce Lutz


Officers at the scene were shining flashlights and looking into a black sedan that had its flashers on.  The man who was shot in the area of Madison Avenue was taken to the hospital in stable condition.

Police didn’t specify if the two shootings are believed to be related.



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