More deaths mar zoo's ray exhibit

2009-03-14

Stephane Massinon, Calgary Herald

The troubled cow nose ray exhibit at the Calgary Zoo has suffered more losses.

Two more rays died since Sunday after arriving at the zoo in poor condition in the most recent shipment.

Though the cow nose rays were given antibiotic and anti-inflammatory medicine, they could not be saved. The first ray died four days after the shipment arrived and the other died two days later.

Cathy Gaviller, the zoo's director of conservation, education and research, said the animals were in "very poor condition" when they arrived.

The box and bag that carried the rays were damaged in transit, she said, and it was not surprising the two died from their injuries.

The zoo came under fire in early February 2009 when it admitted it lacked marine expertise which, coupled with mechanical break-downs of the life-support system, was likely to blame for the deaths. It's believed a lack of dissolved oxygen caused the rays to die.

Zoo officials reopened the exhibit with an improved life-support system and said they were confident they learned from their mistakes. It is repopulating the exhibit--the goal is to have 20 rays in all --by shipping in five rays at a time. There are now 12 rays in the pool.

In January, another ray died from a parasite. Its death is not related to the cause of the 41 deaths last year.

Gaviller insists the exhibit spreads an important message about conservation and there is no thought of closing it.

"The rays have been doing really well," said Gaviller.

"The exhibit remains popular with visitors."

She said the new life-support system that pumps oxygen into the water has proven successful and is providing oxygen saturation readings at 100 per cent, which is ideal.

"It's been working very, very well," said Gaviller.

But the news of the latest ray deaths prompted more criticism from animal-rights group Zoocheck.

The group has called for an outside investigation into the zoo's practices because it feels there are too many deaths at the Calgary Zoo.

"These are animals taken out of the wild to replenish animals that the Calgary Zoo killed," said Julie Woodyer, campaigns director of the Toronto-based group.

She said the new ray deaths remind her of the October 2007 death of a hippo that died after being transported from the Denver Zoo to Calgary.

"If they don't have the ability to bring them in safely and care for them, you shouldn't have them," she said.

Zoo visitors reacted with mixed feelings Friday after hearing the news of the latest deaths.

"It seems like they seem to have a problem with aquatic wildlife,"Tyler Martin said. "If they don't have the professionals to take care of that aspect, I don't know if they should be going in that direction."

While the deaths both this week and last year are sad, Patty Villasenor said the zoo is staffed with conservationists.

"I would trust in the experts," she said.

Patti Vanzeyl said her daughter has seen rays up close in Florida. But other children don't have that opportunity and their only chance to see rays is at the zoo.

"The zoo serves its purpose," she said.