Remembering Leo

It’s with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our nearly 4-year-old male ferret, ‘Leo’.

Leo had started to show severe weakness in his hind limbs, and an inability to urinate properly, prompting our Animal Care, Health & Welfare team to conduct an in depth examination that included a CT scan. Unfortunately, they found a significant bony lesion in his spine that was impinging on his spinal cord, causing the profound clinical signs. While the team did everything they could to maintain a superior quality of life for Leo, he did not respond to treatment as they had hoped. Due to his poor prognosis and declining health, the difficult but compassionate decision was made to euthanize Leo on July 27, 2023.

Born in 2019, Leo came to the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo in 2020 from the Ferret Rescue & Education Society. During his short time with us, he made an impact on wildlife education as a program animal ambassador helping to educate students and visitors about the importance of responsible pet ownership and wildlife conservation.

Leo was described as a sweet ferret, and he will be dearly missed by all who cared for him. Please keep his dedicated care team in your thoughts during this difficult time.

Ferret ‘Leo’