Calgary Zoo employee could face disciplinary action after recent animal death

By Richard Cuthbertson, Calgary Herald

CALGARY- A Calgary Zoo employee could be facing disciplinary action after a female capybara, a species of giant rodent, died less than six months after arriving in this city.

An investigation is underway and zoo management say human error might be a factor in Saturday’s death, but aren’t elaborating on what led to the incident.

Capybaras are the largest rodent on the planet and, weighing up to 65 kilograms, are about the size of a large dog. Two of the species arrived in Calgary in July from the Buffalo Zoo in New York.

The dead capybara is an 18-month-old named Adali and zoo officials say they are taking her death “very seriously.”

“Preliminary findings indicated that human error may have been a factor, therefore the individual involved was immediately reassigned to non-animal care duties pending the results of the investigation,” Cathy Gaviller, director of conservation, education and research said in a news release.

An employee of the Calgary Zoo could be facing disciplinary action after a capybara was killed at the zoo on Saturday. This photo shows one of the zoo's two capybaras earlier this year. Photograph by: Leah Hennel, Calgary Herald

“If human error is proven to have been a factor, appropriate action, including potential disciplinary measures, will be taken.”

A spokeswoman with Zoocheck Canada, an animal rights group and zoo watchdog, said members received a tip Thursday telling them the animal died after being crushed in a gate.

Zoo spokeswoman, Laurie Herron, said she couldn’t comment on exactly what happened.

In the release, zoo officials say senior animal care staff are conducting the investigation.

“In order to finalize this, we need to conclude our discussions with several individuals and anticipate doing this by early next week,” Gaviller said.

The incident is one of a series of recent high-profile animal deaths at the zoo, prompting Zoocheck to reiterate its belief there are systemic problems at the Calgary Zoo.

“They need an external team of auditors to come in and review all of the protocols, the training, everything that’s going on at the zoo and determine what is it that’s going wrong,” said Julie Woodyer of Zoocheck.

But Herron said the senior animal care worker at the zoo is leading a thorough investigation and it’s too early to point fingers.

“Their criticism should wait” until results of the investigation are in, Herron said of Zoocheck.

In June, the zoo announced it was closing its cow nose ray exhibit after 41 of the animals died in 2008.

Last January, a Turkmenian markhor, a type of wild goat, hung itself and died after getting tangled in rope.

Last year, a 15-month-old elephant died from a virus and in October 2007, a hippo died while being transported from Denver to Calgary.

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