Latest news with #OregonZoo
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘Our little prince': RIP Strike, the oldest cheetah at the Oregon Zoo
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Strike, the Oregon Zoo's beloved elderly cheetah, died at 15 years old on Wednesday. Zookeepers say his health had been in rapid decline due to his 'advanced age,' so he was humanely euthanized. At the time of his death, he was the second oldest cheetah in an AZA-accredited zoo. Shooting near SW Portland preschool involved security guard, police say According to the zoo, most cheetahs live to be roughly 12 years old — though female cheetahs tend to live longer and male cheetahs tend to die around 8 years old. This made Strike a 'geriatric' member of his species, his caretaker said. 'Strike lived a long life, and he'll be very missed,' Zookeeper Anne Lauerman said. 'He shared a close bond with his care staff, and we gave him a lot of special attention as an older cheetah.' Lauerman said Strike 'loved being brushed, and he was known to purr very loudly to greet his care staff in the mornings.' DUI suspect stabbed to death following altercation with deputy near Ridgefield 'He had a ring of spots around his forehead,' Lauerman said, 'so we liked to call him our little prince.' Strike came to the Oregon Zoo in 2011 with his brother Ranger, who died in 2022. They were both born in Texas in 2010. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
River otter who appeared on '30 Rock' for resemblance to Tracy Jordan dies
River otter who appeared on '30 Rock' for resemblance to Tracy Jordan dies Show Caption Hide Caption Tilly, the famous river otter at Oregon Zoo, dies at 16 Oregon Zoo is mourning the death of their famous river otter, Tilly, at the age of 16. She won the zoo's 'Mom of the Year' award in 2013. Tilly, a 16-year-old otter, known for her motherly instincts and cameo on "30 Rock" has died. She was humanely euthanized April 30 due to declining health and old age, Oregon Zoo said. "This is a very sad time, especially for Tilly's care staff," Jen Osburn Eliot, who oversees the zoo's North America area, said in a statement. "Some of our keepers were here the day she first arrived in 2009 as a tiny pup. She overcame adversity just to survive, and she helped other otters do the same." Tilly came to Oregon Zoo in 2009 as an orphaned pup when she was only a few months old, Oregon Zoo said. She had been critically injured in an animal attack and was seriously malnourished at the time of her rescue. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Tilly previous named 'Mom of the Year' However, Tilly, named after Oregon's Tillamook River, thrived at the zoo and became renowned for her parenting skills, winning the zoo's "Mom of the Year" award in 2013. Tilly not only raised her own four pups — Mo, Ziggy, Tucker and Nellie — she was also the adoptive mom for rescued orphans Little Pudding and current Oregon Zoo residents Flora and Hobson, the zoo said. "Young river otters are extremely dependent on their mothers, and Tilly not only raised her own offspring but three other young pups who had lost their moms and needed a second chance," Osburn Eliot said. Tilly's '30 Rock' fame Tilly also earned fame for her cameo on "30 Rock." NBC's popular sitcom aired a photo of her in 2012, noting a resemblance to Tracy Jordan (played by comedian Tracy Morgan). Otters in the US Once endangered due to excessive fur trapping in the 19th century, North American river otters are now thriving in healthy river systems and lakes in the Pacific Northwest. These social species are sensitive to water pollution and will disappear from areas with high human populations if the waterways are compromised, Oregon Zoo said, which is why they are considered rare outside the region. River otters usually live up to 12.9 years in captivity, according to Oregon Zoo. Tilly, at 16, was considered geriatric for her species. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Police arrest 9 after home ‘taken over' by squatters while the sick owner was away
PORTLAND, Ore. () — Police arrested multiple people occupying a home in Northeast Portland after the original owner left due to an illness, authorities said. 'A home in the Parkrose Heights neighborhood has been cleared of squatters and suspects engaged in other criminal activity, leading to several arrests and seizure of drugs, guns, and stolen property,' the Portland Police Bureau said in a press release. Oregon Zoo mourns death of Tilly, the river otter mom and '30 Rock' guest star The home in the 220 block of Northeast 102nd Avenue had been 'a significant source of disruption in the neighborhood, generating a high volume of police calls over the past year and complaints from neighbors,' PPB said. On Tuesday, the arrests came following a response from multiple PPB units, including the East Precinct Neighborhood Response Team, the Special Emergency Reaction Team, the Crisis Negotiation Team, K9 Unit and drone unit, officials said. Police said the investigation led to the discovery that 'the homeowner was facing medical challenges and was no longer living at the location.' 'While he was away, the home had been taken over by multiple individuals involved in criminal activity, including a drug dealer and an individual posing as a landlord who was illegally charging people to live on the property,' police said. Camas School District faces budget gap in millions A search warrant was executed at the property after being granted by a Multnomah County judge, with police reporting the following results: 13 people contacted 9 arrests on various charges and outstanding warrants 1 illegal firearm recovered 22 grams of methamphetamine 13 grams of fentanyl 1 gram of cocaine $1,440 in cash seized 1 stolen motorcycle recovered A significant amount of ammunition Evidence of identity theft and fraud Evidence of narcotics distribution Police said they're working with the property owner's family and care team to regain control of the home and keep the surrounding neighborhood safe. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man accused of attempted murder, child sex crimes after SE Portland shooting
PORTLAND, Ore. () — A Portland man was arrested and accused of attempted murder and child sex crimes following a shooting in Southeast Portland last week, authorities said. Portland police said they arrested 21-year-old Amir J. Christianson on Tuesday in connection with a that left one person injured. Though someone was arrested on the same night of the shooting, the Portland Police Bureau later clarified that the suspect — 30-year-old DeShawn R. Nichols — . Oregon Zoo mourns death of Tilly, the river otter mom and '30 Rock' guest star Police initially responded to the shooting just before 6 p.m. near Southeast Stark Street and Southeast 106th Avenue. 'Officers found evidence of gunfire, including 16 ammunition casings, but no victims or suspects at the scene,' PPB said in a press release. Police were later notified of a 41-year-old man who was dropped off at a nearby hospital with gunshot wounds. That individual is still recovering in the hospital and is expected to survive his injuries, officials said. Authorities were made aware of a description of the car used to drop the victim off at the hospital and an officer later located the vehicle. 'The officer attempted to stop the driver, but he eluded at high speed. Due to the danger to the community and involved officers, they did not initiate a pursuit of the driver hoping he would slow down and stop recklessly driving on public streets,' PPB said. 'Unfortunately, he chose to continue driving recklessly and crashed his car at Northeast 122nd Avenue and Northeast Glisan Street.' Wyden tells Senate to overturn Trump's tariff power The driver, later identified as Nichols, was found under a deck following a lockdown and search between Northeast Burnside Street and Northeast Glisan Street and between Northeast 122nd Avenue and Northeast 127th Avenue. A stolen gun was seized from Nichols' car, police said. The following day, police said their investigation revealed Nichols was not the suspect in the shooting. However, Nichols was arrested on other outstanding warrants and eluding police, authorities said. As the investigation continued, witness testimony and evidence led police to arrest Christianson in connection with last week's shooting, officials said. After being located by detectives Tuesday evening, the PPB SERT and Crisis Negotiation Team successfully took him into custody. Two handguns were seized as evidence after a search warrant was executed in the 2500 block of Northeast 15th Avenue. 'During the investigation of the shooting and the subsequent search warrants, Detectives found information about other crimes committed by Christianson against members of his family,' police said. Man arrested for alleged 'explosions' targeting house Christianson was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center and is accused of second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon, second-degree sex abuse-domestic violence, using a child in display of sexually explicit conduct and second-degree encouraging child sex abuse. Anyone with information about the case or other alleged crimes committed by Christianson is encouraged to contact the Portland police. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Investigation finds ‘bulk quantities' of Oregon-grown cannabis in New York
PORTLAND, Ore. () — The unlawful distribution of Oregon cannabis products has hit dispensaries on the East Coast, according to a new report. An found that licensed dispensaries have sold marijuana flower that wasn't grown locally and that illegally entered the state in 'bulk quantities.' 'Very sad time': Oregon Zoo mourns death of Tilly, the river otter mom and '30 Rock' guest star Although the issue has been attributed to New York's need for a standardized track-and-trace system, the where these illegal products have been more likely to originate from. 'This growing problem — known as 'inversion' — occurs when cannabis grown in oversaturated markets like California, Oregon, and Washington is illegally diverted into newer markets like New York where cannabis processors and distributors purchase it for heavily discounted prices,' NYMCIA said in a release. Although New York legalized adult cannabis consumption in 2021, it is still illegal to sell products that weren't grown, manufactured or tested within the state. And while Oregon became one of the first states to legalize cannabis in 2014, federal laws against the substance have prohibited distribution across state lines. In Oregon, regulators solely track products that are legally grown and sold within the state. TLC's newest reality series centers on polyamorous Oregon family The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission told KOIN 6 it has no authority on black market products, but it assists law enforcement agencies responding to reports of locally-regulated marijuana that has made its way out of the state. 'This does occur and diversion or inversion out of or into the legal market is a license cancellable offense for an OLCC licensee and they are subject to criminal penalties in Oregon and other states,' OLCC spokesperson Matthew Van Sickle said in an email. For its investigation, NYMCIA worked alongside the Office of Cannabis Management to determine whether the pesticides, soil types and metals in different flowers derived from New York. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
