GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) - John Ball Zoo staff reports that the baby snow leopard born at the zoo in June has died.

In a press statement, officials say that zookeepers have been monitoring the health of the snow leopard cub since its birth and noticed two weeks ago that the cub's eyes did not seem normal.  On Monday, a veterinary ophthalmologist determined that the cub had a congenital abnormality.  The cub died later on Monday. 

"This is a huge disappointment to all of us at the Zoo, the entire Zoo community, and the residents in West Michigan." said Barb Synder, Animal Curator. "Animal births are happy occurrences and it's hard not to immediately celebrate the great news - but zoo professionals know that they should always remain cautiously optimistic in the first days and weeks after birth."

John Ball Zoo has had three successful births of snow leopards in the past few years. The last from the same mother as the new cub.

EAST LANSING, Mich. (WZZM) -- A gargantuan task for animal handlers from John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids after they transported a nearly 500 lb. lion to East Lansing for a check-up.

A six-year-old male lion was brought to Michigan State University's veterinary teaching hospital Friday for an MRI scan.

The lion has been suffering from from seizure-like episodes recently, and zookeepers wanted to pin-point exactly what is wrong.

The lion was sedated for the procedure. The good news is his seizures should be able to be controlled with medicine, and should not require any surgery.

GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) - The Humane Society of Kent County has unveiled a new name and logo as they expand their reach into West Michigan.

The organization dedicated to animal care will now be known as The Humane Society of West Michigan.  The new logo has a new tagline as well: "Giving animals a voice."

"The Humane Society of Kent County has been a symbol of animal advocacy and education for more than 100 years," said Board President Michael P. Kling in announcing the name change in a press release. "During that time we have made remarkable strides toward our mission, thanks to the generosity and support of the people of Kent and surrounding counties. As the Humane Society of West Michigan, we now look ahead to the next 100 years with the goal of serving the needs of animals and people across our entire region."