Critics question Calgary Zoo probe

CBC News

An animal-rights activist is concerned a review of animal care and practices at the Calgary Zoo won’t be balanced.

The review, announced Saturday by zoo president and CEO Clément Lanthier following several animal deaths at the facility, will be conducted by the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) along with the U.S.-based Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Both groups represent and accredit zoos in North America, and that’s a big problem for critics such as Julie Woodyer of Zoocheck Canada, whose organization had called for an investigation following the death of an animal earlier this month.

“I don’t think what they’re planning currently is anywhere near independent or at arm’s-length, Woodyer said on the weekend.

Zoocheck Canada and the Calgary Animal Rights Coalition had earlier called for an external probe.

A female capybara was crushed in a hydraulic door at the Calgary Zoo on Dec. 5. A zoo worker was blamed for the death and suspended for two days. (Calgary Zoo)An animal-rights activist is concerned a review of animal care and practices at the Calgary Zoo won't be balanced. The review, announced Saturday by zoo president and CEO Clément Lanthier following several animal deaths at the facility, will be conducted by the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) along with the U.S.-based Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Both groups represent and accredit zoos in North America, and that's a big problem for critics such as Julie Woodyer

But Bill Peters, who runs CAZA, defended the decision to employ his organization.

“We’ll assign the best and most appropriate people to carry this out, and do so in a fully professional, objective and rigorous manner,” Peters said. “And we’ll determine whether there’s anything that needs to be addressed and how.

Organizations such as Zoocheck jump to conclusions without knowing all the details of animal deaths — details the investigation will uncover, Peters said.

The decision to bring in independent experts to examine the zoo’s practices came after the death of a female capybara. The giant South American rodent died when it was crushed in a hydraulic door due to the mishandling of a zoo worker, who was subsequently suspended for two days.

In the few years, past several animals have died at the zoo, including a baby elephant, a hippo, a wild goat, four gorillas and more than 40 stingrays.

Marc Bekoff, a well known American biologist who was involved in a high-profile and independent review of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in the United States a few years ago, believes Lanthier made the right decision.

“It’s not normal for this number of animals to die … clearly something is wrong at the Calgary Zoo,” he said..

“I mean those are just very serious things that have happened at the zoo. So I would feel much better to see … an independent review board with people who have no vested interest at all other than to assess what happened.”

The scope of the review will be worked out over the next few days

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