Part of the well-known ‘Ground Floor Murals,’ Paul Jimenez, a local San Diego muralist, made a new piece in East Village San Diego to commemorate the animals from the San Diego Zoo who have recently gone missing.
Jimenez finished the elaborate painting, which is situated near the intersection of Market Avenue and 17th Street, in a few hours on the evening of August 22 using just spray paint.
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Jimenez told NBC 7 over the phone that he felt compelled to paint this mural since the zoo has been one of his favorite locations to visit during his time in San Diego, and he wanted to commemorate and pay his respects to the animals.
In return, he added, a few zookeepers have contacted him to express their gratitude for the mural and for continuing the heritage of the cherished creatures.
On the far left of the mural is the well-known polar bear, “Kalluk,” who passed away at the age of 24 after exhibiting symptoms of age-related sickness. Since his arrival as an orphan cub in 2001, Kalluk had been a part of the San Diego Zoo.
“Nicky,” a 28-year-old Masai giraffe who was thought to be the oldest of her type in North America, is depicted in the mural’s center. Arriving in the zoo in 1999, she was the herd’s longest-term resident.
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‘Maka’, a 30-year-old Western lowland gorilla, is the last figure on the mural’s far right. According to zoo officials, he died following a heart attack.
In order to celebrate more of the creatures he spent his childhood visiting, Jimenez told NBC 7 that he plans to collaborate with the San Diego Zoo in the future.
