Latest news with #HannahShirley
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
WORLD RECORD: San Diego Humane Society's pygmy hippo breaks record as oldest ever
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The San Diego Humane Society announced Sunday its pygmy hippo has surpassed a record milestone and is now the oldest in care in the world. On May 25, 2025, the San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center's pygmy hippopotamus — Hannah Shirley — surpassed the previous record of 51 years, 6 months and 2 days, making her the oldest living pygmy hippo ever in managed care in the world. Hannah was born on Nov. 22, 1973, and has lived at the San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center since 2002 after she was found in a private backyard in Escondido in northern San Diego County. Pygmy hippos typically live 30 to 50 years in the wild, the Humane Society said. PHOTOS: Abandoned baby bear cub thriving after month of care at Ramona Wildlife Center At the Ramona Wildlife Center, Hannah has a natural pond and pool in a 13,000-square-foot paddock. The Project Wildlife care team says her daily routine includes spa-like back rubs, sprinkler showers and her favorite food-based enrichment. She is given individualized attention and specialized nutrition to support her advanced age. 'Every day with Hannah Shirley is a gift,' said Autumn Welch, Wildlife Operations Manager at the Ramona Wildlife Center. 'Her playful spirit, resilience and sweet personality make her a truly special ambassador for her species — and a symbol of how excellent care can help animals thrive far beyond what's expected.' 'Anyone who meets Hannah falls in love with her,' said Angela Hernandez-Cusick, Wildlife Rehabilitation Supervisor at the Ramona Wildlife Center. 'Her free spirit captures the joy of working with wildlife—we're lucky to care for such a special species.' She is one of just a few dozen pygmy hippos in managed care in North America, and serves as an ambassador for her vulnerable species, the Humane Society said. Hannah is recognized in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Regional Studbook as animal #365, which tracks all pygmy hippos living in managed care around the globe. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
15-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
So bear-y excited! Two-month-old cub abandoned by its mom bounces around after being rescued
He's small. He's furry. He's but two months old. He's the San Diego Humane Society's newest resident, and he's bear-y cute. Wildlife experts at the facility are helping taking care of a two-month-old black bear cub who they say is the youngest they've ever seen. The cub was found by campers in Southern California's Los Padres National Forest last month. While biologists with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife had initially attempted to reunite the cub with his mother by returning him to the wild overnight, she did not return. Two days later, and with no signs of his mother in the area, they took her to the humane society's Ramona Wildlife Center. As one of fou r licensed bear rehabilitation centers in California, the center is also home to ambassador animals, including bobcats , birds, and a pygmy hippo named Hannah Shirley. He arrived weak, underweight, and alone. 'He was extremely fragile when he arrived,' Autumn Welch, the wildlife operations manager at San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center, recalled. 'After going several days without nutrition, it was touch-and-go at first. But now, he's active, eating well and gaining weight steadily.' Following 30 days under supervision, he is now 'stable, playful and thriving.' He currently receives four enrichment and feeding sessions each day. However, due to his age and condition, the humane society says the cub will likely need to remain in care for up to a year. Eventually, they hope to return him to the wild. Although, if another cub should enter care in California, they may try to pair them. That's part of a strategy to keep orphaned cubs wild and reduce the risk of imprinting on humans. This is the fourth bear cub this young to come into rehab care in California over the past five years. As the weather warms, encounters with bears may increase. Mothers and bears are the last to emerge from their dens. Bear cubs seen alone are rarely abandoned, although sometimes a mother will abandon her young when she is scared by humans. Last year, the Department of Fish and Wildlife said the leading cause of orphaned bear cubs is a cub's mother being hit by a car. One of only three bear species found in North America, there are an estimated 300,000 black bears in the U.S. 'This is a very unusual case,' said Welch. 'We don't often see bears this young without their mother. It's an honor to care for him, but it's also a significant commitment. We rely entirely on donations to make this kind of specialized care possible.'
