Officials from the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium held a Monday morning news conference to discuss the recent deaths of animals at the facility. Over the past month, three animals have passed away, bringing the total number of animal deaths since July 2023 to five. The President and CEO of the zoo, Dr. Jeremy Goodman, expressed the challenges faced by the staff due to the recent losses, leading to the closure of the zoo for one day to allow for grieving.

Among the recent animal deaths, one of the zoo's gorillas died during an anesthetic procedure on February 1st. An elephant calf succumbed after a brief illness, and a popular sea lion died during a routine sedation. Dr. Goodman emphasized that there was no human error involved in the procedures that led to the deaths of the gorilla and sea lion. Notably, three of the deceased animals were close to their maximum life expectancy, categorized as geriatric.

The zoo's efforts to renew its accreditation have been in discussion, with the current accreditation held only through the Zoological Association of America. Plans are underway to regain accreditation with the prestigious Association of Zoos, voluntarily relinquished in 2015. Despite the recent animal deaths, zoo officials reassured that these events will not affect their pursuit of renewed accreditation within the ZAA membership.