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Report Raises 'Concerns' Over Zoos

July 12, 2005
BY ANDREW HERRMANN Staff Reporter
Chicago Sun-Times

An outside audit of Lincoln Park Zoo found keepers there "professional'' and "caring,'' yet cited "several concerns'' connected to the death of an elephant and the fatal poisoning of three langur monkeys.

The report details the troubled transport in late April of an elephant named Wankie from Chicago to Salt Lake City -- a 34-hour journey in a metal crate that was supposed to be heated but was not, and ended in the animal's death.

Temperatures hovered around freezing as the elephant was transported on the back of a flatbed truck, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association audit team reported. Furthermore, investigators expressed "concern'' that Lincoln Park Zoo shipped the animal three days after she had shown signs of colic.

OTHER DEATHS

An audit team looked at a dozen deaths at Lincoln Park Zoo since June 2004, including three elephants, a camel, two gorillas and three langur monkeys.

The report also examined a few deaths that got little or no publicity, including:

Meadow, a cow euthanized in June 2004 after she was suspected of having tuberculosis. A postmortem exam found no evidence of TB. The audit team praised Lincoln Park for protecting public health.
A baby marmoset fell face down in flowing water and drowned in April. The audit team called it "an unfortunate accident'' that could occur in the wild.
A heart defect killed a 3-day-old lion cub in December 2004.
An American Zoo and Aquarium spokeswoman said there is not "average'' mortality rate for zoos since each facility has a wide variety of animals of different ages.

Wankie, a 36-year-old African elephant, died of a bacterial lung infection. But the audit team quoted a pathology report suggesting that the infection coupled with "stress of shipping'' may have "been sufficient to cause collapse.''

The 1,400-mile trip was also marked by unexpected stops to assist the elephant as it faltered and disputes among the handlers regarding putting a tarp on Wankie's crate.

The audit team said it is uncertain "how much a factor the air temperature was in this case'' but recommended further shipments of elephants include better monitoring of cold and heat.

Langurs killed by toxic yew

Zoo director Kevin Bell insisted "temperatures did not kill this animal. A lung infection did'' -- probably picked up from soil or water.

However, in response to reporters, he said, while the crate had been ordered with a heater, his staff was unaware that it wasn't. "In hindsight, I would have probably checked the truck out a little more than we did,'' said Bell.

He also lamented disputes along the trip in which "our veterinarian . . . had some difficulty implementing some of the things she wanted to have happen.'' Bell said "it was unclear who was calling the shots'' among the transport team, which included experts advising from zoos in San Diego, which owned Wankie, Denver and Utah; the truck driver, and Lincoln Park Zoo officials.

The elephant was euthanized in Salt Lake City when she developed respiratory problems and "seemed paralyzed,'' the report said.

Three langurs at Lincoln Park Zoo died in May when they were moved into an area previously occupied by gibbons. The three apparently were able to grab, or were thrown, some toxic yew plants growing near the exhibit.

Bell said the plant had been there for at least 14 years. Ten years ago, the zoo started reviewing all new plant materials for toxicity but did not re-examine established plants.

"It did not occur to us to do a complete review of all plants . . . but it should have,'' said Bell.

All yews have been removed from the zoo and a horticulture firm is assessing all the facility's plants, said Bell.

'Didn't sugarcoat anything'

The five-member audit team, which included experts from zoos in Missouri, New York and South Dakota, and an official from the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, examined a dozen deaths at the zoo over the last 13 months. "We didn't sugarcoat anything,'' said Eric Miller, a veterinarian from the St. Louis Zoo, who led the audit team.

For months, animal rights activists have vigorously criticized the zoo -- an effort that, in May, contributed to Bell offering to resign. Lincoln Park Zoo chairman Jay Proops rejected that offer and asked the AZA to audit operations. A second audit, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is still being conducted and could be "a few weeks away,'' USDA spokesman Darby Holladay said Monday.

Debbie Leahy, a spokeswoman for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said the audit echoed protesters' claims that Wankie "unnecessarily suffered a painful, agonizing death.''

Furthermore "that a zoo would have poisonous plants in reach of animals is inconceivable. There are a lot of problems at Lincoln Park Zoo,'' added Leahy.

She also expressed suspicions over the fact, noted in the report, that Lincoln Park Zoo officials were given an advance copy of the findings. After input from the zoo, the report was changed before public release for what the audit team called "greater accuracy and clarity.''

Proops praised Bell. "There is nothing in this report for me or the board to ask for Kevin's resignation,'' Proops said.

Disagreements, cold temps mar Wankie's trip

BY ANDREW HERRMANN Staff Reporter

The trip of Wankie from Chicago to Salt Lake City, Utah this spring, as an audit comittee detailed in a report released Monday, did not go smoothly.

April 29: Lincoln Park Zoo director of veterinary services Kathryn Gamble deems Wankie fit for transport by truck. There is no heater for the crate and Lincoln Park "staff did not inquire about the status of heat . . .''

Zoo workers did not bring banamine, a standard drug used for colic and instead brought mineral oil, which they had used before. The truck leaves around 9:30 a.m.

Around 8:45 p.m., the driver notes Wankie had been kneeling, a potentially dangerous situation. The animal drinks 10 to 12 gallons of water in Iowa. Temperatures are in the low to mid-30s. Tarp installation discussed and rejected.

April 30: Between 12:30 and 4:30 a.m., Wankie continues to try to kneel. The animal is fed a gallon of mineral oil. In Grand Island, Neb., Gamble urges installing the tarp given that Wyoming temperatures would be in the 20-degree range. Trucker Steve Fritz disagrees.
Turning point

Around 7:15 a.m., Wankie lays down on her sternum. Near Sidney, Neb., the crate is opened and efforts to get the elephant to stand are unsuccessful. Calls are made to the Denver Zoo. Nebraska State Police escort truck to a fairgrounds.

Obtained en route, banamine, an anti-inflammatory, is injected along with a muscle relaxant. Gamble talks with San Diego Wild Animal Park staff and they decide not to remove Wankie from the crate.

Around 11:30 a.m. in Cheyenne, Wyo., the truck is pulled into a heated truck stop. The outside temperature is about 27 degrees. A warm water enema is administered. Gamble requests the tarp be put on. Trucker Fritz will not, "due to a concern to keep the transit time to a minimum.''

The staff from Utah's Hogle Zoo meets truck at 3 p.m. in Rawlins, Wyo. Tarp is installed.

At 7:45 p.m., the elephant arrives at Salt Lake City but will not stand, despite use of a strap to help her. Wankie seems "paralyzed'' and develops "respiratory difficulties.''

May 1: Around 3:45 a.m. -- about eight hours after Wankie arrived in Utah -- there is no improvement and she is euthanized. Postmortem examination finds Wankie had lost 30 percent of her lung capacity due to a lung infection.

The audit team says it is "concerned'' that Wankie was shipped while recovering from colic and notes zoo was unaware of the lack of heat in the crate and did not have "a clear itinerary.'' The audit recommends "establishing clear lines of responsibility'' for future transports.