"We see gun violence as a public health crisis just like COVID... With COVID, everybody needs a vaccine. And with gun violence, everybody needs a chance. A real chance."
In Shedd Aquarium's microbiome lab, researchers are studying the tiniest living things on the planet to answer the biggest questions about aquatic animal life.
Kiana the northern sea otter, who was one of the most beloved animals at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, has died at 16 nearly a year after being diagnosed with Lymphoma.
Kiana the sea otter spent her entire 16-year life with her caretaker, Christy, at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium. In 2020, Kiana was diagnosed with lymphoma and Shedd staff focused on providing her with end-of-life care.
Animals at the Shedd Aquarium eat very well, and the foods they eat - from restaurant grade fish and home-grown vegetables to bugs cultured inside the aquarium - play a major role in Shedd's holistic animal care.
Animals at aquariums and zoos live much longer than they would in the wild, due largely to regular health care and the absence of predators; so Shedd Aquarium staff are providing a new level of geriatric animal care.