Brandywine Zoo - History

History

In 2006, a clouded leopard named Kaching arrived at the zoo. At Brandywine Zoo, Kaching eats feline meat, chicken and horse meat.

A bobcat died in 2007. In 2008, the zoo received a new bobcat, Squeakers, who was born in November 2007.

In 2007, a Siberian tiger named Sergei died, leaving only Ashley the Siberian tiger in the habitat. On July 31, 2010, Ashley was humanely euthanized after 15 years in the Brandywine Zoo. She was born in 1990 and traveled from the St. Louis Zoo to the Brandywine when she was five years old. She lived to be 20 years old whereas tigers in the wild generally live to 10–12 years. The 20-year old tiger suffered complications from a brief illness and was unable to be saved. “Ashley had been very ill, and we were unable to save her after her condition rapidly deteriorated.” said Brandywine Zoo Director Nancy Falasco. “Ashley came to the Brandywine Zoo when she was five years of age,” Falasco said. She was housed with an older tiger named Kublai Khan. After Khan’s death years later, she was paired with Sergei, a hand-reared tiger that preferred to interact with people more than with other tigers. Their relationship was long but fraught with growls and the occasional fight. Through the help of the Delaware Zoological Society an additional enclosure was built for Ashley to reside in and to keep the tigers separated. Their relationship persisted with a protective fence between them. Sergei died in June 2007. In 2011, the Brandywine Zoo acquired an Amur tiger named Zhanna from the St. Louis Zoo.

Ramon, an 18-month-old male Brazilian ocelot came from the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, which was looking for a new home for Ramon after he reached maturity. Ocelots are primarily nocturnal except in captivity and prefer to live a solitary lifestyle. Ramon lives by himself in an environment that features lots of tree branches and shade, and numerous shelves on which to lie. “He’s a shy cat who likes to have objects to hide behind,” said Zoo Director Nancy Falasco. “We’re pleased that the Franklin Park Zoo was able to make Ramon available to us and we’re delighted to welcome him to the Brandywine Zoo.” The last time ocelots lived at the Brandywine Zoo was in 1993.