Last week the zoo finished on a high note with all the coverage we received on the new baby giraffe and a beautiful Thursday evening for the zoo’s Bacon & Brew event. We all work hard to enjoy those highs when they come, because you never know when that next low will hit. Not much more than 24 hours after those wins, zoo staff faced a new challenge to remind us that nothing can be taken for granted when working at the zoo.

Nearly a week after the birth of the giraffe calf, an official announcement was made, and he and his mom were introduced to the others. Yes, it is a male, and now even has a name, Jabari, which means “brave.” Guests can see Jabari along with his mom, Kianga, and sister Amani, along with the new male Kioni, daily on exhibit, weather permitting. Jabari is the last calf produced by Mashama who passed away last September.

Then on Thursday, all the work that went into preparing for the Bacon & Brew event paid off in spades. From the food and drink offerings to the weather to the guests attending, it could not have been a more perfect evening. This was the ninth year for the event and its second sellout in as many years. As the event continues to evolve, it only seems to get better each year and as much as we hate turning anyone away, the event is designed for a certain number of guests leaving those last-minute buyers disappointed when they discover that there were no more tickets available. Hopefully a lesson was learned, and folks remember to buy early next year to be sure they can attend.

Although the event was a lot of hard work, the staff was still feeling very good about its results, but by Saturday morning all that went out the window as the North Trails keeper made a scary discovery on her morning rounds. As she checked on the animals in her area that morning, she discovered that Ole, the adult male bison, was laying in his sand pit and struggling to get up. Ole is 17 years old and has been having age-related issues for some time now, but nothing this severe.

Staff were mobilized along with the veterinarian and after a while, they were able to get him sitting up with the help of a skid steer. He was weak but seemed alert but tired after his ordeal. He was given some antibiotics and steroids to help treat any unseen medical issues. After having an opportunity for the medications to take effect and rest a bit, he shakily stood up on his own. Staff patiently waited as he regained his strength and confidence. He was favoring his right front leg that was on his down side, but as he began to walk he headed for the hay rack and began to eat. This was a great sign.

Ole did well for the rest of the day, but on Sunday morning, he was down again. Although he was continuing to try, there was no way he was going to get back up. The decision was made to euthanize him. After Ole was anesthetized, he was euthanized and removed from the enclosure.

I guess the moral to this article is that no matter how good things are going today, we always must be prepared for what tomorrow may bring. Good, bad, or indifferent, it’s all in a day’s work when you’re part of a zoo.