Panda bears will soon be returning to the Calgary Zoo for the first time since 1988. But considering that a year ago the Calgary Zoo underwent an extensive audit of its facilities and operating procedures (full report is posted below) after a rash of animal deaths, some may wonder if the fuzzy black and white visitors on loan from China will receive the proper care in their temporary home.
The 2011 review was heavily critical of zoo management, especially in the areas of staff communication and training. It included a list of 36 action items that, according to zoo spokesperson Laurie Skene, the zoo has implemented or is in the process of completing. Even Julie Woodyer, campaign director for Zoocheck Canada, says she is “cautiously optimistic that things have improved.” For two years Zoocheck was one of the most outspoken critics of the Calgary Zoo, demanding an independent review for two years before it was finally undertaken.
The Embattled Zoo
The string of deaths at the Calgary Zoo began in 2007 with a hippopotamus that died after a long trip from the Denver Zoo. Though the death was ruled accidental it prompted a report outlining changes to be made to prevent similar deaths.
Then there was the baby elephant that died of a viral infection, the 41 stingrays that died due to an improperly oxygenated tank and a wild goat that strangled itself on a toy. The final straw occurred in 2009 when a capybara was crushed by a hydraulic gate—the keeper was suspended for two days without pay for the mistake. To top it off, shortly after the review was ordered by the zoo, four mule deer were killed, one with a broken neck from what the media reported as “poor handling facilities.”
And that was just the deaths. The zoo also received unwanted publicity over a gorilla that was seen gripping a knife left behind by a keeper, escaped Malagasy giant hognose snakes, two men who got into the tiger enclosure after-hours, and another gorilla that almost escaped its enclosure by scaling a snow bank.
The Report
Compiled by the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the U.S. Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the audit reviewed animal care procedures, management and staffing, facilities, collection planning and security.
Some of the biggest concerns revolved around staff training and supervision of junior staff members: “All levels of the animal care staff appear to share the same responsibilities and authorities regardless of where they currently are in the ‘training’ program.” The report also noted that due to shortcomings in the organizational structure keepers do not always receive the training they should.
The report also uncovered other incidents at the zoo where animals were killed or injured. The report states, “Over-all, these data demonstrate an increasing mortality at the Zoo over the last few years and a clear increase in deaths that are human-related and in many cases could have been avoided by prompt and more aggressive response to identified problems. The Review Team recognizes that there will always be “avoidable” deaths because errors will occur, but believes that the increasing number over the last few years is indicative of an underlying problem.”
There were also issues with the zoo’s collection planning, something Woodyer of Zoocheck agrees is a fundamental problem with many zoos. “They just try to collect as many animals as possible,” she says. The auditors noted, “The lack of coherent planning seems to be leading to bringing animals to the Zoo which the staff is not fully prepared to accept or manage.”
The Fix
Since the report was released in mid-2010 the zoo has been working to implement the 36 action items contained in the report. For Woodyer the most important of these was the hiring of Briton Jake Veasey as director of animal care, conservation and research. “He has a reputation for concern for animal welfare and is known to make decisions that aren’t always popular but are in the best interest of the animals,” she says.
Skene, of the Calgary Zoo, also identifies the new senior management group in the animal care area, along with a revamp of rules and guidelines for animal care as an important step forward for the beleaguered zoo. Major changes also include new structures in animal care areas and a revamp of the collection planning guidelines.
When asked about the corn snake that died last October due to the negligence of a keeper she said, “You can put rules and guidelines in place but there are some individuals who may not chose to follow them.” The keeper in question has resigned.
According to Skene, the zoo met with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in September, who were satisfied that the zoo has met the requirements set out by the audit team. A spokesperson for AZA could not be reached for comment.
Woodyer says there are still fundamental flaws with a zoo model that has not changed much over 100 years, but she is cautiously optimistic that things have changed for the better at the Calgary Zoo. “I really hope this is a turning point,” she says.
The Pandas
Earlier this week, the prime minister's office released a statement announcing the a deal that would see China loan a pair of giant pandas to two Canadian zoos—Calgary and Toronto—for five years each. More details of the deal are expected Saturday.
Housing the pandas could cost $2 million per year (with the proceeds going towards panda conservation in China) plus the cost to build an enclosure. The Calgary Zoo spent about $900,000 for a new enclosure to accommodate the panda's 1988 stay.
The pandas are loaned out by the Chinese government so, unlike the usual process of loans between zoos, the negotiations for the loan have taken nine years and gone to the very top levels of the Canadian government. Until the agreement is finalized, Skene from the Calgary Zoo was unable to say what new facilities or equipment will be required for the bears. She says they expect to receive a list of requirements from the Chinese and that there will be trained keepers from China accompanying the bears.
Zoocheck's Woodyer doubts if there will be much in the way of requirements. “If there is (a list of requirements) it would be in very vague terminology,” she says.
