It is with great sadness that we have to share the news that one of our beloved sea lions, Winnipeg, passed away on 12th February 2026.
The exact date of Winnipeg’s birth is unknown, but we do know that she was around 25 years old when she passed away. Winnipeg was an aging individual who was under regular supervision by our veterinarians due to her displaying typical geriatric behaviours. The decision was made to put her to sleep in the interest of her welfare.
Winnipeg built irreplaceable bonds with all of the Animal Care Team, especially those who had the pleasure of working with her since she arrived at CZS in November 2003. Having been at the Zoo for over 20 years, Winnipeg was truly part of the CZS family so this is a devasting loss for all. Losing an animal is like saying goodbye to a member of the family and is the most difficult part of the job for any Animal Keeper so our thoughts are with the team during this sad time.
“Winnipeg always had a special sparkle with endless energy. Being the loudest in the group, you could often hear her calling to the team or chatting to the others within the group. She loved spending time with her sea lion companions and had no concept of personal space so you would often see her laying on top of the others whilst having a snooze!”
– Sea Lion Team at CZS
During her years at CZS, Winnipeg enjoyed her training sessions with the Animal Care Team and carried out everything with her usual Winni flair! Despite having a very short attention span, she always tried her best and participated keenly with health checks and veterinary procedures. One of her favourite things to do was retrieving toys from the pool and she was occasionally known as ‘Witchy Winni’ during Halloween and even ‘Winni from Winchester’ while representing Team GB during the Olympics.
Winnipeg was truly one of a kind and will be sorely missed by all those who were lucky enough to know her. Remaining sea lions, Sydney and Milan, are also reaching a geriatric age now and will continue to be closely monitored by the Animal Care Team as they adapt to life without Winni. We would like to thank everyone for their support during this difficult time.
