Illiyak
male Pacific walrus (O. r. divergens)
wild caught on May 9th, 1978
deceased on July 1st, 2009
Ancestors and Descendants
Transfer History
capture 1978-May-09 in wild
transfer 1978-May-15 to SeaWorld San Diego
transfer ≤ 1979 to SeaWorld Aurora
transfer ≤ 2000 to SeaWorld San Antonio
death 2009-Jul-01 at SeaWorld San Antonio
Physical Data
The dates listed here generally represent the time at which the weights were published, not necessarily the date on which they were taken.
Weight
1979-May-24: 500+ lb
1989-Mar-01: 2,500 lbs
Daily Diet
1979-May-24: 80 lb of fish and 4 gallons of pureed squid and clam
Image Gallery
No images available at this time.
Identifiers
Local
C7807 (SeaWorld)
Regional
#23 (Association of Zoos and Aquariums)
Notes and Information
This animal's name was spelled Iliayak in the 2004 studbook, Iliak in a 1979 publication, and Illiyak in various other news publications. I am not aware which is the correct spelling.
Illiyak's left tusk was improperly removed, allegedly causing it to regrow upwards through his skull. To my knowledge this had no noticeable effect on his quality of life.
On February 28th, 1989 SeaWorld San Diego animal care worker Lisa Gouse was sent to the hospital with cuts and bruises after being bumped into the water and held by Illiyak.
Illiyak's date of capture was altered from May 15th to May 9th from the 2004 to 2018 studbooks.
References
2018-Jan-08. Lisa Oland. AZA Regional Studbook.
2005-Apr-25. Jodie Baker. 2004 North American Regional Walrus Studbook.
1979-May-24. Akron Beacon Journal. Wally the Walrus: Sea World's new star. Retrieved from Newspapers.com.