MIAMI – Zoo Miami announced with heavy hearts the loss of Coedie, an 11-year-old male koala, who was humanely euthanized on Tuesday following a rapid decline in health.
Recommended Videos
Zoo Miami’s Communications Director Ron Magill said Coedie began showing signs of gastric distress, including a loss of appetite last week.
Despite intensive care from Zoo Miami’s animal care and veterinary teams, including consultation with experts at San Diego Zoo, Riverbanks Zoo, and Palm Beach Zoo, Magill confirmed that his condition worsened.
He said those zoos even supplied gut-supportive resources from their healthy koalas in an effort to aid Coedie’s recovery.
Further medical evaluations revealed that Coedie was also suffering from pneumonia.
Magill said Coedie was hospitalized in the ICU, where he received oxygen support, medications, nebulization, and round-the-clock monitoring. Despite these efforts, Coedie’s health continued to deteriorate, and the difficult decision was made to euthanize him to prevent further suffering.
Born on July 30, 2013, at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Coedie joined Zoo Miami in 2016 as part of a managed loan agreement with Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in South Carolina.
His arrival was part of a cooperative program overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to ensure the health and genetic diversity of the koala population in human care.
A news release stated that Zoo Miami has long been committed to koala conservation, contributing tens of thousands of dollars through its Conservation Fund and the Gail S. Posner Trust to support efforts to protect koalas and their habitats in the wild.
“We are deeply saddened by Coedie’s loss,” Zoo Miami said in a statement. “His presence brought joy to so many, and his legacy will live on through our continued work to protect this iconic species.”