Sioux Falls Great Plains Zoo Mourns The Loss of Beloved Tiger

It's been an emotional 24 hours for the Great Plains Zoo and Butterfly House & Aquarium staff and Sioux Falls residents.

16-year-old Amur tiger Callie has passed away. Last week, staff made the difficult decision to "humanely euthanize" Callie due to "progressive age-related health issues." She was the heart of the Great Plains Zoo and Butterfly House & Aquarium.

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Great Plains Zoo (via Facebook)

Officials at the Great Plains Zoo and Butterfly House & Aquarium shared this heartbreaking news in a Facebook post on Monday, September 23rd.

Callie's life was at the Great Plains Zoo. She was born in Sioux Falls in 2009 as one of the six cubs in the litter. Callie did not have an easy start because the first-time mother rejected her. Eventually, Callie was the lone survivor, bottle-fed and hand-raised by her dedicated care team in Sioux Falls. Callie did leave Sioux Falls briefly to live at Wisconsin’s Henry Vilas Zoo, but returned after a few years to the team and community that helped raise her.

Great Plains Zoo (via Facebook)

Through their grief, staff are celebrating this "extraordinary life." Callie was one of the best ambassadors for the zoo, consistently bringing joy to every visitor. Carnivore Area Supervisor Angie Blommer saw that light from the very beginning of Callie's life.

“She knew how to capture everybody’s heart and have them love her. Spunky from the day she was born, her favorite activity was to hide, stalk, and surprise her keepers. Callie loved to train and made sure to talk to us the entire time. She also loved to show her affection for her keepers by chuffing at them anytime they were near.��The entire team is going to miss her happy noises and cheery disposition each day.”

You can read more about Callie's vibrant life at the Great Plains Zoo and how staff will remember her here.

Callie's memory will live on at the Great Plains Zoo. They will make sure of it!

One of Sioux Falls' Oldest Restaurants to Close

Where will I ever find another chimichanga as delicious as the Original Chimi from Casa Del Rey in Sioux Falls?

Casa Del Rey will say its final adios, Wednesday, July 31, 2024.

Corey O’Brien bought the restaurant from Don Smith in October of 2016.

According to O’Brien, it was becoming more and more difficult to find and keep employees and he wants to spend more time with his family.

Casa Del Rey at 901 West Russell Street in Sioux Falls opened in 1980. It was a Sioux Falls staple for great Mexican food for 44 years.

Don Smith and a college buddy opened their first Casa Dey Rey in Rapid City in 1974, then Sioux City, Iowa in 1976. Smith described the cuisine as “foods of New Mexico.”

Nearly everything was made from scratch using Don Smith’s original recipes.

Casa Del Rey was known for their margaritas, chimichangas, burritos, and complimentary homemade salsa and fresh chips.

It's always sad to see long-time local businesses close, but this one hurts. Casa Del Rey, you will be missed.

Gallery Credit: Karla Brown / Townsquare Media