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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

Pittsburgh officials help rescue a deer from the Highland Park Reservoir

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Pittsburgh officials help rescue a deer from the Highland Park Reservoir



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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Pittsburgh officials helped rescue a deer from the Highland Park reservoir last week.

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According to the Pittsburgh Public Safety Facebook page, animal care and control officers saw a deer in the Highland Park Reservoir on Nov. 21.

After several attempts to free the deer, officials were able to help get the deer to safety and out of the reservoir. Pictures showed the deer standing in the middle of the reservoir, while it was empty. 

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Pittsburgh Public Safety Facebook Page


However, this is not the first time a deer has been stuck in the Highland Park Reservoir. In 2017, rescue crews had to help a deer that got stuck on Oct. 12. The rescue efforts began at about 2 p.m. that afternoon, and the deer was finally rescued near 3:40 p.m. 

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The biggest difference was that the rescue occurred while the reservoir was full of water. Crews had to use an inflatable boat and a lasso around the deer’s antlers to get him securely out of the water. 



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Radio host goes off on Pittsburgh Steelers star: ‘A flat-out disappointment’

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Radio host goes off on Pittsburgh Steelers star: ‘A flat-out disappointment’


2022 was the last time Minkah Fitzpatrick caused a turnover. Once known as the NFL’s premier ballhawk that all teams had to be worried about, Fitzpatrick has faded into the background of the Steelers’ defense. In 2023, he missed seven games due to hamstring and knee injuries. Now, in 2024, he is back at free safety, but Fitzpatrick still has not made the big-time plays.

According to most charting statistics, Fitzpatrick has the worst season of his career. Pro Football Focus has him charted for 18 receptions on 24 targets, allowing a passer rating of 135.8 and 13.8 yards per reception. Tight ends have victimized Fitzpatrick.

93.7 the Fan radio host Joe Starkey has had enough of the excuses for Fitzpatrick’s play. Starkey believes Fitzpatrick is ‘a flat-out disappointment’ this season, and the Steelers should have a serious conversation about his contract and role.

“Minkah Fitzpatrick is a flat-out disappointment,” Starkey said. “He’s given up a lot. I don’t think they’re just ignoring him the entire game. This isn’t Darrelle Revis in college.”

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Fitzpatrick’s lack of splash plays is concerning, but the Steelers have not allowed many explosive plays this season and have the No. 4 scoring defense in the NFL for a reason. His coverage over the top has been effective in that regard. Yet, the Steelers want to see more splash plays from him, too.

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Pittsburg father killed in hit-and-run crash after leaving church

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Pittsburg father killed in hit-and-run crash after leaving church


A father of two was fatally struck while walking home from church in Pittsburg on Friday night.

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Police said they received a call about 9:15 p.m. about a crash in the 1500 block of Willow Pass Road and when officers arrived they found Joaquin Reveulta Galvez in the middle of the street.

Revuelta Galvez was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead a few hours later.

“There was some vehicle debris and the lone victim and that was the extent of the scene,” Cpt. Philip Galer said, adding that there was a headlight of a vehicle also there at the crash site.

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In a news release, police said the entire crash was captured on surveillance video.

Revuelta Galvez’s family said investigators told them that he appeared to stumble and fall to the ground before the vehicle hit him.

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“He was wearing sandals, and then he fell and landed in the street and a car ran over him,” said his partner Maribel Macias. The couple have two grown sons, and Macias said the young men were close with their father.

Macias said the family didn’t know about the crash until one of them noticed the emergency responders and police vehicles around the corner from the mobile home park where they live.

Now, during the holidays, she and her sons are grieving for Revuelta Galvez.

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They said Revuelta Galvez had already been through so much. He had been recovering from brain surgery last year, but despite his health problems, he was a friendly neighbor and loving father with a good heart.

A relative said they saw him at the Sovereign Shepherd Church just a half hour before the crash, and he had bought some pupusas to bring back home.

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His family wonders how someone could drive away and leave him there.

“If they had called 9-1-1… he would be alive right now. We don’t know how long he was on the ground bleeding, dying,” Macias said.

A relative set up a GoFundMe page to help the family pay for burial and funeral expenses.

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Galer said investigators are withholding details from the surveillance footage to protect the investigation.

He said they do have leads on the vehicle that struck Revuelta Galvez.

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Anyone with information on the hit-and-run crash is asked to contact Pittsburg police at (925) 646-2442 or contact Officer James Pena at (925) 252-4146.

Jana Katsuyama is a reporter for KTVU. Email Jana at jana.katsuyama@fox.com. Call her at 510-326-5529. Or follow her on Twitter @JanaKTVU and read her other reports on her bio page. 



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