Memphis Zoo: The Legacy Left By Callie The Sea Lion

Press release from the Memphis Zoo:

January 28, 2022

It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of one of our beloved California sea lions, Callie. Callie was our only wild born sea lion. She came to Memphis Zoo in 2002 after being rescued and rehabilitated by the Marine Mammal Care Center after being stranded in the wild. She was the mother of “Teva” who was born in 2012. Callie was the star of our sea lion show for over a decade and was incredibly popular with keepers and guests alike. Callie performed in shows at the old sea lion pool, which is now our pelican pool, before moving over to the new Northwest Passage exhibit. Callie was known to be a bit of a diva with strong opinions, however, she always kept staff on a tight schedule when it was time for a show as she would vocalize loudly at the doors to encourage the shows to start. Callie thoroughly enjoyed educating hundreds of guests daily about sea lions and conservation. She would often show off her reusable water bottle or tote bag to show the importance of recycling and help encourage guests to avoid using single-use plastics. Plastics are a major threat to sea lions in the wild, so by recycling here at home, you are helping sea lions in the wild!

Callie will be deeply missed by her keepers and all who have known her. For those of you who have come to know and love Callie over the last almost 20 years, thank you for being part of her journey.

This press release was produced by the Memphis Zoo. The views expressed here are the author’s own.