News

Actions

Fresno Chaffee Zoo sea lion dies of Valley Fever

Posted

An eight-year-old sea lion at Fresno Chaffee Zoo died unexpectedly on Saturday due to Valley Fever, according to ABC30 in Fresno.

Catalina has been at the zoo for the past six years in the Sea Lion Cave. Medical crews attempted CPR for an hour but were unable to save her.

"We have had it in the zoo, but not for several years. It's not something we see routinely especially not in marine mammals. It's pretty uncommon, so it took us by surprise she wasn't showing symptoms at all. Everything happened suddenly, it was definitely a shock for us," Shannon Nodolf, Chief Vet Officer at Fresno Chaffee Zoo, told KFSN-TV.

The zoo has seen Valley Fever cases before but not in several years.

,

Weather

Daily Forecast

View Hourly Forecast

Day

Conditions

HI / LO

Precip

Wednesday

04/22/2026

Mostly Sunny

72° / 48°

5%

Thursday

04/23/2026

Mostly Sunny

77° / 53°

4%

Friday

04/24/2026

Partly Cloudy

81° / 53°

0%

Saturday

04/25/2026

PM Showers

70° / 52°

38%

Sunday

04/26/2026

Partly Cloudy

72° / 51°

21%

Monday

04/27/2026

Partly Cloudy

75° / 51°

2%

Tuesday

04/28/2026

Partly Cloudy

77° / 54°

16%

Wednesday

04/29/2026

Partly Cloudy

79° / 56°

14%