The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is a non-profit zoo located near Powell in Liberty Township, Delaware County, Ohio, United States, north of the city of Columbus. The land lies along the eastern banks of the O'Shaughnessy Reservoir on the Scioto River, at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Powell Road. It has a worldwide reputation, largely attributable to the efforts and promotion of director emeritus Jack Hanna. In 2009, it was named by the USA Travel Guide as the number one zoo in the United States. It was also ranked number one best zoo in 2012 by Besties Readers Choice.The Columbus Zoo is home to more than 7,000 animals representing over 800 species and sees over 2.3 million visitors annually. The animal exhibits are divided into regions of the world, with the zoo currently operating eight such regions. In addition the zoo owns an 18-hole golf course, known as the Safari Golf Club which encompasses 56.656 hectares (140 acres). The zoo also owns Zoombezi Bay which encompasses 9.187 hectares (22.70 acres). In total, the zoo owns 234 hectares (580 acres) of land, with 164.424 hectares (406.30 acres) dedicated to the zoo itself.[needs update]The zoo operates its own conservation program, donating money to outside programs as well as participating in their own conservation efforts. Over the past five years the zoo has contributed over $3.3 million to more than 70 projects in 30 countries. The zoo also has a close working relationship with the Wilds, a 9,154-acre (37.04 km2) animal conservation center located in southeast Ohio and featured on the Columbus Zoo's website.
Foot structure and function are essential to the health and mobility of giraffe (Giraffa spp.), yet comprehensive evaluations of distal limb pathology remain limited. This retrospective necropsy-based study used postmortem computed tomography (CT) of frozen distal limbs with targeted histopathology to characterize osseous and soft-tissue changes in a historical cohort of giraffe under managed care. Seventy-three distal limbs from 21 giraffe housed at 12 North American zoos (necropsies performed between 2004-2023) were evaluated. Lesions were graded on a scale of 0-3, and localized to either the medial or lateral digits. Findings were summarized at both the animal level (presence in ≥1 digit) and digit level. CT frequently identified multiple distal limb lesions within this necropsy cohort, including pedal osteitis, joint osteophytes, navicular apparatus changes, subchondral bone cyst-like lesions, laminar abnormalities, and flexor tendon mineralization. Navicular bone lesions were commonly identified, particularly in forelimbs, and frequently occurred in conjunction with abnormalities of the podotrochlear (navicular apparatus) region. These findings suggest that remodeling of the navicular bone and associated podotrochlear (navicular apparatus) structures may represent an important component of chronic distal limb disease and lameness in some affected giraffe. Laminar abnormalities consistent with chronic laminitis were common but were predominantly grade 1 on CT scoring, with grade 2 or 3 changes uncommon at both the digit and animal levels. Juvenile giraffe (<3 years) exhibited minimal CT-detectable orthopedic change, whereas lesions were more common and more extensive in older animals. Forelimbs more frequently exhibited navicular changes, and laminar abnormalities were more common in adult males than females. Distal phalanx fractures were identified in a subset of digits and occurred only in digits with pedal osteitis; fracture presence and severity were positively associated with greater pedal osteitis severity. Histopathology corroborated CT findings, demonstrating chronic laminar disruption, bone remodeling, and degenerative tendinopathy. Overall, these findings characterize historical patterns of distal limb pathology within a necropsy-based cohort of giraffe under managed care and provide context for continued refinement of preventive hoof-care strategies, husbandry practices, and early diagnostic monitoring aimed at promoting long-term orthopedic health.
A 5-yr-old castrated male red ruffed lemur (Varecia rubra) was evaluated for cluster seizures over a 24-h period. Seizures were refractory to anticonvulsive therapy. MRI revealed meningoencephalitis affecting the left occipital lobe. Because of concern for superrefractory status epilepticus and overall poor prognosis, the animal was humanely euthanized. Postmortem examination revealed necrohemorrhagic meningoencephalitis with intralesional amoebic trophozoites and cysts. The causative agent was identified as Acanthamoeba spp. T1 genotype via immunohistochemistry staining and species-specific real-time PCR. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first documented report of Acanthamoeba T1 genotype meningoencephalitis in a nonhuman primate in professional care.
