Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium to close Saturday after the deaths of 3 animals this month, will reopen Sunday

The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium will be closed Saturday after the death of three animals this month.

In a Facebook post, a zoo spokesperson said the one-day closure comes “out of respect for staff and recent animal losses” and offer the staff “time for grieving and healing.”

The post said staff on Saturday “will continue to focus on the well-being of resident animals.”

Zoo guests who prepaid for tickets will be notified shortly to make alternative arrangements.

The zoo is expected to reopen Sunday.

The closure comes after the deaths of a gorilla, an elephant elf and, according to WTAE, a sea lion. The station reported that the sea lion died Friday.

A 2-year-old elephant calf named Tsuni died after being diagnosed with a disease on Feb. 8. It lived with a herd at the International Conservation Center in Somerset. 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.

And Mrithi, the first-ever gorilla born at the zoo died early this month.

A male silver-back Western lowland gorilla, Mrithi had recently been showing mobility problems, with spinal issues the likely suspect, according to a zoo curator.