Zoo otter died after becoming tangled in a pair of pants
Posted Feb 17, 2016 12:04 pm.
Last Updated Feb 17, 2016 12:05 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Calgary Zoo says an otter that died last Thursday at Canadian Wilds, drowned after becoming entangled in a pair of pants.
The pants, considered an “unauthorized enrichment item,” were given to the otters by a zookeeper.
Calgary Zoo General Curator Colleen Baird says the error is unacceptable, adding she’s never seen anything like this before.
“In my time being here this is the first time an unauthorized enrichment item has resulted in a death,” she said.
Baird says the two staff members, who are understandably upset their mistake was fatal for 12-year-old otter Logan, have been disciplined, but wouldn’t elaborate on what that meant.
She adds the animal care protocols are some of the most stringent in the industry.
“We have protocols of what is approved enrichment and pants are not an approved item,” Baird explained.
Baird says the policy is reviewed on a yearly basis and if any changes are made, they’re notified immediately.
