Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Rosey's Diary and Newsy Things: SDMA Winners | Nighttime Zoo | R.I.P. Paul-Donn | SeaWorld Reopens Shark Encounter, Dolphin Stadium, Kicks Off Drone Shows | Living in Kleptocracy |

 

Paul-Donn at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 12.26.25)

If I'm being honest, I have controlled and fixed my notifications and algorithms so much that I didn't know anything about the shooting at the Islamic Center until several hours after it happened. So I'm making the choice not to post any links about that story in this latest news roundup. Not because I don't care or because I don't want to acknowledge the tragic loss of life at the hands of radical incel-adjacent shitheads, but the links are everywhere and the discussion about it is super triggering and angering. I'm sure you've read every detail that is known and many that are unknown and I just don't have the bandwidth for it. I'm trying to live in La La Land these days. The election, the City and County budget wars, the abject corruption by TFG, and the many wild things going on in LawTube...it's enough to make anyone crazy. So yeah. I'm soaking in a lot of zoo and SeaWorld time, I spent Tuesday doing work (namely, these listings) and then going to Safari Park, and exploring North County, since I was already up there. I even went to Oceanside Harbor to see their sea lions, and I can't believe I've never explored that whole area north of the pier. So this post is short, even though I haven't really posted a diary in a couple weeks. I'm trying my best to be out living and off the laptop. I recommend the same for you. 
Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

  • SAN DIEGO LOCALS:
  • SAN DIEGO REGIONAL POLITICS:
  • ZOO GOSS:
    • Nighttime Zoo kicks off this weekend, with a member preview on Friday, and open to the public starting on Saturday. The Zoo will be open daily from 9am-8pm for the summer, May 22–August 9, 2026 (with a couple off days for private Zoo events. Check the calendar for details. 
    • Gorilla Paul-Donn died suddenly last week and everyone I know is gutted. This is the statement from the Safari Park.
      • There are those whose presence touches everything, and whose loss is felt in everything, too. We are heartbroken to share the unexpected illness and loss of Paul Donn, a remarkable 37-year-old western lowland gorilla, at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
        As with all wildlife we have the honor of caring for, Paul Donn’s comprehensive wellness was being carefully monitored daily. Shortly before his passing, his wildlife care team noticed his appetite had decreased, and he was urgently seen by wildlife health experts. Despite immediate treatment and the dedicated efforts of wildlife health and care team members, Paul Donn passed away suddenly on May 15 with his wildlife care specialists by his side.
        Born at the Safari Park, Paul Donn spent more than two decades as a beloved member of the Zoo's gorilla troop before returning to the Safari Park, where he stepped into the role of silverback following the passing of Winston. His return to the Safari Park to carry on Winston's legacy was deeply poignant, and the ripples of his iconic presence have touched every part of our gorilla conservation program.
        In Paul Donn, gentleness and strength existed in perfect balance. He was smart and stubborn, and moved through the world with a quiet, though unmistakable air of authority. As troop leader, he set the tone for what family meant, and he lived that every single day.
        Above all, Paul Donn was the embodiment of what it means to be a devoted father. From the time his four children were small, he was deeply engaged in their lives, seeking them out for long bouts of wrestling and play that made his investment in them impossible to miss.
        He was, in every sense of the phrase, a "super dad."
        Nowhere was this more evident than in his fierce, unwavering protection of Frank, who became the first gorilla raised under the neonatal assisted care unit model, a groundbreaking approach that kept him living with his family while being hand-nursed by wildlife care specialists. Throughout that journey, Paul Donn remained steady and watchful. His love was not passive, but active, physical, and constant.
        Paul Donn lives on through generations of gorillas at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, including his mother, Kami, and sons Denny and Frank. He was an inimitable member of our family and will be profoundly missed by all who knew him.
        Paul Donn loved cucumber, splashing in water, and napping in the sun. In celebration of his incredible life, we invite you to enjoy some fresh veggies outside in the sunshine, perhaps by a pool or the ocean, and keep your days playful, and your heart kind.
  • SEA WORLD GOSS:

Posted by Rosemary Bystrak at Wednesday, May 20, 2026
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