Remembering Homer

Last month, we said a heartfelt goodbye to one of our resident hamerkops, Homer, who was a beloved member of the African Rainforest Aviary family and a wonderful companion to female hamerkop Stella.

Homer hatched at the Dallas Zoo on September 24, 2010, and joined us in 2021 from Toronto Zoo. When he arrived, he had a chronic beak deformity and chronic intermittent right leg lameness. He was diagnosed with bilateral degenerative joint disease (DJD or osteoarthritis) in 2022 which was medically managed by our dedicated Animal Care, Health & Welfare (ACHW) team. Despite daily medication, Homer’s DJD progressed and led to worsening discomfort and lameness, eventually significantly impacting his quality of life. With no treatments options left available, the ACHW team made the compassionate decision to euthanize him on May 24, 2026.

Necropsy confirmed severe degenerative changes to his hocks (the joint between the tibia and upper foot bones) and moderate degenerative changes to his stifles (the anatomical equivalent of the human knee). A wound related to his reduced mobility was also present on his keel (a bone on the sternum and anchor for wing muscles) and he was in thin body condition.

At 15 years old, he had exceeded the median life expectancy of 13.3 years for male hamerkops under human care — a testament to the quality of care he received from the ACHW team. He will be fondly remembered for his skill at catching food mid-air and bringing joy to staff, volunteers, and guests.