Paul Jimenez, a local San Diego muralist, part of popular ‘Ground Floor Murals,’ created a new piece in East Village San Diego to honor recently lost San Diego Zoo animals.
Located in the intersection between Market Avenue and 17th Street, Jimenez created the intricate mural using only spray paint and completed the art work in just a couple of hours on the night of Aug. 22.
In a phone call, Jimenez told NBC 7 that he felt inclined to do this mural as he wanted to pay his respects and honor the animals as the zoo has been one of his favorite places to visit throughout his years in San Diego.
He said that some of the zookeepers have reached out to him in response, thanking him for the mural and for preserving the legacy of the beloved animals.
The mural shows popular polar bear, ‘Kalluk’ on the very left, who died at the age of 24 after showing signs of age-related illness. Kalluk had been at the San Diego Zoo since 2001, when he arrived as an orphan cub.
Portrayed in the center of the mural is ‘Nicky’ a 28-year-old Masai giraffe who was believed to be the oldest giraffe of her kind in North America. She was the longest-standing resident of her herd, having arrived at the zoo in 1999.
Lastly, on the very right of the mural is ‘Maka’ who was a 30-year-old Western lowland gorilla. He died after suffering a cardiac arrest, according to zoo officials.
Jimenez told NBC 7 that he hopes to one day partner with the San Diego Zoo to honor more of the animals he grew up visiting.