'Roar' singer, global pop star Katy Perry earns her stripes in visit to the Louisville Zoo

Rae Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal
·2 min read
Katy Perry posing for a photo op alongside Simon, Louisville Zoo's black-footed penguin.
Katy Perry posing for a photo op alongside Simon, Louisville Zoo's black-footed penguin.
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Katy Perry earned her zookeeper stripes at the Louisville Zoo on Saturday.

Louisville Zoo staff welcomed the pop music icon with an up-close encounter featuring the zoo's own superstars, Simon, a black-footed penguin, and Sebastian the sloth.

It's no secret that the "Roar" singer has been staying in Kentucky recently with her daughter, Daisy Dove, while fiancé Orlando Bloom shoots his new movie, "Red Right Hand." Production on that film is expected to wrap up in June.

Related: Did Katy Perry really move to Kentucky? What to know about the rumors

At the zoo, Perry was "Walking on Air" through Wild Lights, a lantern festival featuring 50,000 LED lights. She also posed like a penguin next to Simon and admired the hang-ten skills of Sebastian the sloth, who "truly connected" with Perry, according to a post on the zoo sloths' Twitter page.

Katy Perry posing like Simon, a black-footed penguin, alongside Louisville Zoo staff.
Katy Perry posing like Simon, a black-footed penguin, alongside Louisville Zoo staff.

The Louisville Zoo features over 1,200 animals in exhibits with themes from all over the world, including Africa, home to Simon and other African penguins, as well as Australia and South America, where the sloths hang out. Check out the zoo's website for more information on exhibits.

Earlier this month, Chelsea Handler hosted Perry on her podcast, "Dear Chelsea" to chat about Perry's stay in the Bluegrass State.

"I'm like, living in Kentucky, and I have for almost a month now. And that's quite an amazing experience because it reminds you that Hollywood is not America," said Perry, whose most recent album, "Smile," was released in 2020.

The 134-acre Louisville Zoo, at 1100 Trevilian Way, is open for visits all summer, although chances of bumping into another entertainment superstar are slim. The zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Katy Perry and zoo staff checking out Sebastian the sloth.
Katy Perry and zoo staff checking out Sebastian the sloth.

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Contact reporter Rae Johnson at RNJohnson@gannett.com. Follow them on Twitter at @RaeJ_33.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: In Louisville, Katy Perry visits zoo, meets sloth during time in KY