Calgary Zoo blames otter death on a 'unauthorized enrichment item': a pair of pants
First posted: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 12:38 PM EST | Updated: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 01:27 PM EST
Shawn Logan
Trying to turn a pair of pants into an otter’s plaything turned out to be a deadly decision, a probe by the Calgary Zoo has found.
Logan the river otter was spotted last Thursday struggling in the otter pool, prompting a zookeeper to jump in and help.
Despite efforts to save the 12-year-old mustelid, Logan died.
Colleen Baird, the zoo’s general curator, wouldn’t get into how the pants, which ultimately resulted in the otter’s death, wound up in the exhibit, only calling them an “unauthorized enrichment item.”
“It’s irrelevant how exactly the pants got it there, it’s more that the pants got in there in the first place,” she said Wednesday following the results of a zoo investigation.
“Logan got trapped in one of the legs and he drowned.
“It was human error and we take animal deaths very seriously.”
The attraction has had an unfortunate history of human error that has led to death and injury to animals on St. George’s Island, which in 2009 prompted president and CEO Clement Lathier to launch a sweeping review of the zoo’s animal keeping practices.
Following the review the zoo implemented a 36-point action plan focused on staff training, animal care procedures, security and facility maintenance among others.
Baird said the two staff members found to be responsible have been disciplined, but remain employed by the zoo.
Citing privacy concerns she wouldn’t discuss any disciplinary actions taken.
Meanwhile, zoo officials are using the otter’s death to remind employees about rules surrounding animal welfare.
“We’re going to reinforce with our animal care teams to ensure policies and procedures are followed,” Baird said.
Baird said it’s common to introduce enrichment items to its animals, but they tend to be things that either naturally occur in their environment or mirror that.
A pair of slacks, she said, wouldn’t fit that bill.
“We would normally give them things to climb and float on, as well as things like mussels and clams,” Baird said.
Zoo staff are monitoring the trio of surviving otters — 16-year-old male Callebaut, 12-year-old female Charlotte, and her year-old offspring Finnegan — to ensure they aren’t suffering any impact from Logan’s death.
“We’re monitoring the otters and so far we’re not seeing any changes in their behaviour,” Baird said.
Despite Logan’s death, Baird said the zoo’s policy regime around animal health and safety remains “one of the most detailed in Canada.”
slogan@postmedia.com
The Calgary Zoo’s tragic history of strange animal incidents:
2014: Some 85 tilapia fish die after ozone sensor in hippo pool breaks down
2013: A peacock along with a number of tilapia and piranha fish perish after flood waters sweep over the island
2013: Twice in the same year, gorillas manage to escape their enclosure into an attached kitchen. In the first incident a zookeeper is roughed up and ultimately fired
2013: Gentoo penguin dies after following foot-long stick in exhibit
2012: Two zoo personnel are disciplined after a great grey owl dies after flying into a gate during a transfer
2010: Citing their inexperienced mother Katja, two newborn Siberian tiger cubs die due to rough handling
2010: A pair of Malagasy giant hognosed snakes escape enclosure through drain inadvertently left open, but are returned safe and sound
2009: Kitchen knife left behind in gorilla enclosure winds up in the hands of one of its residents, and is captured on film by a tourist
2009: Turkmenian markhor goat strangled in enclosure after becoming caught in a rope
2009: 25 Seba bats killed by piano wire in exhibit, their deaths attributed to maladaptation
2009: South American capybara, the world’s largest rodent, crushed and killed by a door
2009: Marmoset killed after mousetrap fell on the tiny monkey’s head
2009: Feather tailed sugar glider, weighing about 2 grams, killed after it was stepped on
2009: Cockatoo killed after suffering chest injury in handling incident
2008: Malti, a one-year-old elephant, dies after contracting herpesvirus.
2008: 41 cownose stingrays die after oxygen levels in their tank were allowed to fall.
2007: Hazina the hippo dies after being trucked to Calgary from Denver. The Hippo was in a five-metre by two-metre crate for 29 hours during the move.
An otter investigates a frozen heart-shaped fish treat given as part of the Calgary Zoo's Valentine's Day events in Calgary on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014. (Stuart Gradon/Postmedia).
Calgary Zoo blames otter death on a 'unauthorized enrichment item': a pair of pa
First posted: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 12:38 PM EST | Updated: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 01:27 PM EST
Shawn Logan
Trying to turn a pair of pants into an otter’s plaything turned out to be a deadly decision, a probe by the Calgary Zoo has found.
Logan the river otter was spotted last Thursday struggling in the otter pool, prompting a zookeeper to jump in and help.
Despite efforts to save the 12-year-old mustelid, Logan died.
Colleen Baird, the zoo’s general curator, wouldn’t get into how the pants, which ultimately resulted in the otter’s death, wound up in the exhibit, only calling them an “unauthorized enrichment item.”
“It’s irrelevant how exactly the pants got it there, it’s more that the pants got in there in the first place,” she said Wednesday following the results of a zoo investigation.
“Logan got trapped in one of the legs and he drowned.
“It was human error and we take animal deaths very seriously.”
The attraction has had an unfortunate history of human error that has led to death and injury to animals on St. George’s Island, which in 2009 prompted president and CEO Clement Lathier to launch a sweeping review of the zoo’s animal keeping practices.
Following the review the zoo implemented a 36-point action plan focused on staff training, animal care procedures, security and facility maintenance among others.
Baird said the two staff members found to be responsible have been disciplined, but remain employed by the zoo.
Citing privacy concerns she wouldn’t discuss any disciplinary actions taken.
Meanwhile, zoo officials are using the otter’s death to remind employees about rules surrounding animal welfare.
“We’re going to reinforce with our animal care teams to ensure policies and procedures are followed,” Baird said.
Baird said it’s common to introduce enrichment items to its animals, but they tend to be things that either naturally occur in their environment or mirror that.
A pair of slacks, she said, wouldn’t fit that bill.
“We would normally give them things to climb and float on, as well as things like mussels and clams,” Baird said.
Zoo staff are monitoring the trio of surviving otters — 16-year-old male Callebaut, 12-year-old female Charlotte, and her year-old offspring Finnegan — to ensure they aren’t suffering any impact from Logan’s death.
“We’re monitoring the otters and so far we’re not seeing any changes in their behaviour,” Baird said.
Despite Logan’s death, Baird said the zoo’s policy regime around animal health and safety remains “one of the most detailed in Canada.”
slogan@postmedia.com
The Calgary Zoo’s tragic history of strange animal incidents:
2014: Some 85 tilapia fish die after ozone sensor in hippo pool breaks down
2013: A peacock along with a number of tilapia and piranha fish perish after flood waters sweep over the island
2013: Twice in the same year, gorillas manage to escape their enclosure into an attached kitchen. In the first incident a zookeeper is roughed up and ultimately fired
2013: Gentoo penguin dies after following foot-long stick in exhibit
2012: Two zoo personnel are disciplined after a great grey owl dies after flying into a gate during a transfer
2010: Citing their inexperienced mother Katja, two newborn Siberian tiger cubs die due to rough handling
2010: A pair of Malagasy giant hognosed snakes escape enclosure through drain inadvertently left open, but are returned safe and sound
2009: Kitchen knife left behind in gorilla enclosure winds up in the hands of one of its residents, and is captured on film by a tourist
2009: Turkmenian markhor goat strangled in enclosure after becoming caught in a rope
2009: 25 Seba bats killed by piano wire in exhibit, their deaths attributed to maladaptation
2009: South American capybara, the world’s largest rodent, crushed and killed by a door
2009: Marmoset killed after mousetrap fell on the tiny monkey’s head
2009: Feather tailed sugar glider, weighing about 2 grams, killed after it was stepped on
2009: Cockatoo killed after suffering chest injury in handling incident
2008: Malti, a one-year-old elephant, dies after contracting herpesvirus.
2008: 41 cownose stingrays die after oxygen levels in their tank were allowed to fall.
2007: Hazina the hippo dies after being trucked to Calgary from Denver. The Hippo was in a five-metre by two-metre crate for 29 hours during the move.
An otter investigates a frozen heart-shaped fish treat given as part of the Calgary Zoo's Valentine's Day events in Calgary on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014. (Stuart Gradon/Postmedia).
Calgary Zoo blames otter death on a 'unauthorized enrichment item': a pair of pa
