Chicago report on zoo deaths

The front page of the Tuesday, July 12, Chicago Tribune reports on the investigation of recent animal deaths at Lincoln Park Zoo. The article is headed, "Shrub poisoned zoo monkeys; But report clears Lincoln Park staff."

It opens:
"A two-month outside investigation of animal deaths at Lincoln Park Zoo found the zoo generally acted appropriately but revealed troubling, previously unpublicized circumstances in the May deaths of three langur monkeys and Wankie the elephant.

"The report by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association said the monkeys apparently were poisoned by leaves from a yew shrub--known to be toxic to primates--growing just outside the exhibit. Zoo director Kevin Bell said it was 'a serious oversight' that keepers did not conduct a veterinary review of all plants in the area.

"Investigators also found flaws in the transport of Wankie, 36, who was euthanized May 1 within hours of arriving by truck at the Salt Lake City zoo from Lincoln Park. Though the truck traveled through subfreezing weather on parts of the trip, there was no heat in the transport crate and the driver ignored a veterinarian's request to install a protective tarp.

"In no instance, however, did investigators find that actions by zoo staff members contributed to the animal deaths, zoo chairman Jay Proops said at a news conference Monday."

Later in the article we read more about Wankie's death:
"The most troubling death to the investigators seemed to be that of Wankie, the elephant that died after transport to the Utah zoo.

"All three of the zoo's elephants arrived in 2003 from San Diego Wild Animal Park. When Wankie and another elephant, Tatima, died they were in the end stages of a disease that had not been seen before in elephants, a lung infection caused by Mycobacterium szulgai.

"After the deaths of Peaches and Tatima, officials at both San Diego and Lincoln Park, as well as AZA elephant authorities, decided Wankie, who appeared to be in general good health, should join the elephant herd at Hogle Zoo in Utah.

"The San Diego park provided the same animal transportation specialist that brought Wankie from California to Chicago.

"The report noted that three days before the move Wankie had a bout of colic (upset stomach) and questioned if it was wise to transport her so soon after. Lincoln Park officials also were unaware until the trip was under way that the heater supplied for Wankie's crate was 'not compatible' with the crate, and that 'no heat could be provided,' the report said.

"And the report made clear that there was a breakdown in the lines of authority on the trip.

"As the truck traveled west, temperatures dropped into the 30s and then into the 20s in Wyoming. Kathryn Gamble, Lincoln Park's chief veterinarian, was traveling with the elephant and asked at several points that a tarpaulin be put over the crate for extra protection from the weather, but the animal transport specialist who was driving objected.

"The tarp was finally put in place in Rawlings, Wyo., with less than five hours of travel time left.

"Wankie visibly weakened during the trip, kneeling and finally lying down in the crate. At Sidney, Neb., the truck pulled off at a county fairgrounds where the Denver Zoo had arranged to send a hoist capable of lifting her out of the crate.

"Bell said it proved impossible to remove Wankie at that point because the fairgrounds had no suitable holding area for her and doing so would violate federal regulations.

"Eight hours after she arrived at Hogle Zoo, Wankie's condition was so bad that she was euthanized. The post-mortem examination found the mycobacterial infection had destroyed 30 percent of her lungs. 'Debilitation related to chronic disease coupled with ... stress of shipping may have been sufficient to cause collapse,' said the post-mortem.

"The investigators said it was unclear if the cold truck may have contributed. 'The audit team is unable to ascertain how much of a factor the air temperature was in this case,' it said.

"Based on the investigation, the AZA is recommending several changes in elephant transport procedures, including mandating written agreements establishing lines of responsibility when two or more institutions are involved. It also recommended that transport crates be provided with monitors to log temperatures."

A heartbreaking story. The article avoids giving the background on Wankie's case -- that PETA begged the Lincoln Zoo director not to take the three elephants from San Diego, saying that Chicago's winters would prove fatal, and that Wankie was finally rushed out of Chicago, despite her recent illness, a week before city council members were set to vote on a well-supported resolution calling for Wankie to go to a sanctuary instead of another zoo.

You can read the whole article on line at:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0507120244jul12,1,6967239.story?coll=chi-news-hed
OR http://tinyurl.com/9jko4

It provides a good opportunity for letters to the editor against keeping wild animals captive for human entertainment. A good resource on the issue is http://www.savewildelephants.com

The Chicago Tribune takes letters at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-lettertotheeditor.customform OR http://tinyurl.com/4lsug


(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. If you forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts, please do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this tag line.)