Zoo Deaths

The Calgary Zoo has announced it will commission what it is calling an "independent review" of all of its animal care practices and policies.

The statement comes just days after CTV News broke the story of the death of an animal at the zoo.

That animal, a South American capybara, died December 5th in what is described as an unfortunate incident involving human error.

After an investigation, an employee of the zoo was reassigned and suspended for two days.

The death is the latest in a number of animal deaths at the zoo over the past few years, including dozens of stingrays and a baby elephant.

Critics have demanded a review.

On Saturday afternoon, the zoo's president, Dr. Clement Lanthier, issued the following statement:


"Good afternoon, thank you for joining us today. While we always love to see people at the Zoo on a weekend, we normally would have waited for a weekday to invite you here. But what I have to tell you today is, I believe, a matter of urgency and importance to both the Calgary Zoo and the citizens of our community.

For the past two years, the Zoo has been the target of a great deal of criticism, some of it deserved but much of it not, for the quality of our operation. As President and CEO, I have always subscribed to the notion that even a world-class organization can become better if it is prepared to accept and act upon constructive criticism. We are no exception to that rule. Sadly, however, much of what I have seen and heard over the past two years has been far from constructive.

As gratifying as it is to know that we enjoy tremendous support from our community, I worry that some of our critics do not want to see this Zoo improved--they want to see it closed. That is not what Calgary wants, nor, of course, what our 200 employees, 600 volunteers, 80,000 members and 1.2 million visitors every year want. No matter how unsubstantiated or unfair, criticism can raise doubt in people's minds, particularly if there is no objective, independent way to verify the accuracy of that criticism.

It is for this reason that I am announcing today my immediate intention to commission a comprehensive, independent review of all of our animal care practices and policies. On Monday morning I will be contacting the Presidents of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, in Washington, D.C., and of the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums in Ottawa. For those of you who are not familiar with these organizations, they are the accrediting bodies that set the standards of care for zoos and aquariums in Canada, the United States and other Western Hemisphere countries. The AZA also provides leadership, guidance and training to professionals in more than 200 institutions that include the largest and most highly regarded facilities on this continent, such as the San Diego Zoo, Bronx Zoo and Disney's Animal Kingdom.

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 to be relevant to their enquiry.


My objectives in this process are threefold:

To commission an expert assessment of the quality of our animal care that will provide an authoritative, unbiased and knowledgeable perspective on the standards we have in place and whether any improvements can be made.
To maintain the strong support we have enjoyed from our community and to reassure Calgarians that they can continue to have confidence in the institution they hold dear.
To recognize the incredible work done by so many of our staff and volunteers which has been the target of much unfair criticism.

When this review is complete, a summary of its findings and all of the recommendations arising from it will be made available to Calgarians. We have never taken the support of our community for granted and do not intend to now. The animal deaths we have witnessed over the past couple of years--most recently the unfortunate incident involving one of our capybara--have been cited by our critics as examples of something being "wrong" at the Zoo. To continue their support for this institution, our community needs answers--not more accusations, allegations and irresponsible criticism, but documented facts that will give them good reason to maintain their confidence in us. The review I am announcing today will provide those facts.

Let me conclude by saying that as President and CEO, I am not prepared to stand by and watch self-proclaimed experts undermine the treasured relationship we have with the literally millions of people who have visited, contributed to, volunteered for, worked on behalf of and developed a strong and enduring affection for a Zoo that is one of this community's most valuable assets. By linking together a series of unrelated incidents in an effort to establish some kind of pattern, many of these critics have attempted to further their own agenda of manipulating public opinion and diverting attention away from the vitally important work that zoos, including the Calgary Zoo, do to protect animals and their habitats-- something for which these critics can claim absolutely no credit.

This institution has stood as a point of pride in our city and our country, gaining national and international stature for its work in conservation, research and education. As its President and CEO, I have a duty to uphold its values, implement change where change is warranted and, above all, ensure that it continues to play an important part in the lives of people who truly love, enjoy and respect life on earth."