Poppy’s Passing

September 22, 2025

Celebrating the life of Poppy Coatimundi (2016 – 2025)

Poppy Coatimundi, along with four other coatis and an African crested porcupine, were rescued from a roadside zoo in Quebec, Canada, that was shut down in the summer of 2019. The conditions they came from were deplorable, and the court case continued for more than two years. Because animals are considered evidence in these cases, they were essentially in “witness protection” during that time, meaning we could not discuss or even acknowledge that they were here to the public. Once the case was resolved, we were finally able to share their story.

Back in April, keepers noticed an area around one of her ankles looking slightly swollen. Thinking she might have been stung or bitten by something, we treated her with antibiotics and continued to monitor. However, the area continued to swell, so we sedated her for a physical with Dr. Lassiter and were able to biopsy the area, which came back only as inflamed tissue. Despite continued medication and monitoring, the mass on her ankle continued to grow and soon became painful. We sedated her a second time to remove the tumor, but due to its location, we could not entirely remove the mass. Her recovery started well, but unfortunately, the foot became problematic again just weeks later. By this time, the biopsied tissue had been identified as cancer. A third physical was performed, and we found additional malignant cells in her lymph nodes, groin, and abdomen, and a questionable mass in her chest. The difficult quality-of-life decision had to be made, and the team let her go peacefully.

Even though the coatis were not featured on our tour route, many volunteers took extra time to visit and get to know their personalities. Poppy Coati was always curious and often the bravest of the group. She would explore enrichment items and loved engaging in anything new. Poppy’s favorite scent was Axe body spray, and she would immediately rub the scent all over her tail so she could carry it with her throughout the day. She was extremely food-motivated and loved all the roaches, crickets, and worms sprinkled throughout her diet. When she was done eating those, she could often be found using her long nose to dig around in the dirt and leaf litter for fresh insects. Coatis are social animals, and she was frequently seen grooming and snuggling with her enclosure mate, Clover. Her spirited antics and curious personality are greatly missed.

With a heavy heart,
Kathryn Bertok
Assistant Director