ZOO CONTACT: Kyle Shepherd
502-238-5331 (Media Cell 502-744-5639)
kyle.shepherd@louisvilleky.gov
The Louisville Zoo welcomes a new associate veterinarian, Dr. Erica Lipanovich.
Dr. Lipanovich came to the Louisville Zoo from the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where she was the staff veterinarian. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University College in 2004. She has worked at numerous Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited facilities, including the Denver Zoo, Kansas City Zoo, Dickerson Park Zoo and Oregon Zoo. She was also a veterinarian team member for the Micronesia Avifauna Conservation Program. This program’s goal is to provide the avifauna of the Mariana archipelago with the best possible chances for long-term survival, with the objectives of preserving, maintaining, and establishing self-sustaining populations of native birds secure from the threat of the brown tree snake.
Dr. Lipanovich will join Senior Veterinarian Dr. Zoli Gyimesi and will work within the Zoo’s Animal Health Center to provide comprehensive medical and surgical care to the Zoo’s diverse animal collection of 1,100 animals representing 229 species. The Zoo’s veterinarians focus on preventative medicine through quarantine of new animal arrivals, vaccinations, regular physical examinations, pest and parasite control, and also play a significant role in their overall welfare and care.
“We’re delighted that Dr. Lipanovich has joined us as she brings a wealth of experience to our veterinary team and our Zoo,” said Senior Veterinarian Dr. Zoli Gyimesi.
About the Louisville Zoo
Since 2011, under Mayor Fischer’s administration, the Louisville Zoo celebrated its 50th anniversary, opened nine new exhibits and attractions, and won national awards for Glacier Run and School at the Zoo. Considered Kentucky’s most popular not-for-profit paid attraction, the Zoo welcomed nearly 9 million guests in the last decade. In 2021, the Zoo was voted “Best Place to Take Kids in Summer,” by LEO Weekly, “Best Kid-Friendly Attraction” by Kentucky Living Magazine and Boo at the Zoo made the Top 10 Halloween Festivals list by thetravel.com. Community Access Memberships, deep-discount days, the Future Healers Got Zoo Buddies partnership and the accessible playground are among prime efforts to make Louisville Zoo even safer, more engaging, and more inclusive. Among the Louisville Zoo’s most successful conservation programs, the black-footed ferret breeding effort produced 1,100 kits and repatriated more than 800 of these most highly endangered, American mammals to the wild.
The Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state Zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation education. The Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
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