Heartbreaking possibility

Calgary Zoo’s Maharani may be knocked up.

If blood tests confirm the pachyderm is indeed expecting a third calf, there’s a heartbreaking possibility the newborn will fall ill to the same disease that killed Maharani’s last offspring, Malti, in 2008.

The 15-month-old animal died of endotheliotropic herpesvirus, or EEHV, a fatal virus that attacks the circulatory system and can kill within hours of infection. Only a handful of elephants have survived the illness through treatment.

Since Malti’s death, animals rights activists have criticized the Calgary Zoo for continuing its elephant breeding program, arguing it’s irresponsible to put the lives of future animals at risk.

Calgary Zoo

Director quits…

Cathy Gaviller says she has stepped down to pursue other opportunities.

“The past few months have been very challenging for the organization and for me personally,” she said in a news release Thursday.

“I care deeply for the Calgary Zoo and hope my decision can help the zoo move forward confidently and begin a new chapter in animal stewardship.”

… and the AZA suggests we think of zoo animals as stars behind bars.

A mule deer that wouldn’t rate a media mention were it run down by a logging truck is, in this environment of suspicion, headline material when it dies at the zoo.

“Zoo animals are the celebrities of the animal world,” says Steve Feldman, a spokesman for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). “So just like if a celebrity dies or is born or gets sick we all pay more attention and so even though animals are born and die all the time…. When it happens to a zoo animal we pay more attention.”

Calgary Zoo

More foibles.

A Calgary zookeeper has been suspended for failing to properly secure an outdoor gorilla enclosure, allowing one of the animals to perch on a perimeter fence.

Two young gorillas were in their outdoor habitat on Monday morning before the zoo opened, when Shana, a seven-year-old male, jumped from a pile of ice and reached the perimeter fence, which is made of glass.

He sat on the fence for a few minutes before seeing a staff person and immediately jumped back into the yard, said zoo officials.

Calgary Zoo

Snakes in drain found; employee apologizes.

Irvine said had been worried the reptiles might perish because of his mistake.

“I also deeply regret the fact that I have tarnished the zoo, a place that truly is my home. The people and animals here are part of my family,” Irvine said.

Circle of life

Inspection underway at Calgary Zoo.

President and CEO Clément Lanthier said Tuesday he hopes the review by five experts without a direct connection to the Calgary Zoo will clear the facility’s name.

“We would like to celebrate life at the zoo, but death is also part of life and we have to educate the community about this.”

Calgary Zoo

Controversy around deaths of mule deer.

“This is not true — there were no incidents involving our mule deer last week,” said Scott, the zoo’s new director of communications.

“Unfortunately, it seems to be the latest in a series of attempts to undermine us.”

Simon says the zoo did lose four mule deer last year, three of those in November and December.

Two died of natural causes due to age and disease, while the other two died of injuries — one, after injuring itself on a fence, and the other of a mysterious broken neck.

Calgary Zoo

President speaks directly to Calgarians in full-page newspaper ads.

But the ads will only keep the issue of a series of unnatural animal deaths on the front-burner and suggest concern over an erosion of public support, said Zoocheck Canada spokeswoman Julie Woodyer.

“They should be worried,” she said.

“But this is just going to bring more attention to themselves…at the end of the day, their reputation doesn’t rise or fall with what Zoocheck says, it falls on what they do.”

Woodyer also challenged the zoo’s contention in the ad they’ve been transparent, noting word of the death of another capybara last August after it was attacked by a cagemate wasn’t divulged until last weekend.

Calgary Zoo

Alderman has idea for Calgary Zoo: more aldermen!

The Zoo receives $6-milion, yearly, in funding from the city and Alderman Bob Hawkesworth thinks it’s a shame aldermen no longer serve on the boards of some publicly funded facilities.

“The groups we are talking about, the major attractions, may have missed out themselves by no longer having direct access to council and administration,” says Hawkesworth.

Hawkesworth says he doesn’t think having an alderman on the board would have prevented any animal deaths but it may help with governance.

Zoos in Canada

In need of reform.

“A lot of zoos are trying to do far too much. They have far too many animals. They make claims that these animals are well-treated but that’s just greenwashing,” said Mr. Laidlaw.

“In an ideal world, no animal would be held in captivity but that’s not going to happen. We need to move away from fancy exhibits and the public needs to change its mindset.”

Ian Duncan, who sits on the animal care committee at the Toronto Zoo, said for zoos to succeed, they need to specialize in specific species and forget the concept of having large collections of many animals.

“Gradually zoos have assumed more of an education role, a research role, a conservation role,” said Mr. Duncan, a retired animal behaviour professor at the University of Guelph. “All these things will increase in the future into a decision for zoos to only keep one or two animals.”

Meanwhile, critics laugh at review requested by Calgary Zoo.

One of the zoo’s critics, R.J. Bailot with Zoocheck Canada, responded by telling CTV News, “Zoocheck feels it is a joke, it will be a biased report.”

Bailot says he believes the review would be biased because it will be conducted by two organizations that accredit the Calgary Zoo, the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) and its U.S. counterpart, AZA.

“We’re asking for an independent review that’s outside of arms length from the Calgary Zoo,” added Bailot. 

Calgary Zoo

Will request an independent review of operations.

“On Monday morning, I will be contacting the presidents of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in Washington, D.C., and the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums in Ottawa,” zoo president and CEO Dr. Clement Lanthier said yesterday.

“I will be asking the two organizations to appoint a joint panel of highly qualified individuals, completely independent of the Calgary Zoo, to conduct a thorough review of all aspects of animal care at our institution, including staff experience, training, veterinary care, policy and procedure and any other facet of our animal care operation they believe may be relevant to their inquiry.”