http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2007/11/02/pf-4625063.html
November 2, 2007
The Hippogate plot thickens as the province and Calgary Zoo jump on the investigation bandwagon at last. What took so long?
By RICK BELL, AP

Well, lookee here, the grease coming out for the squeaky wheel.

Come in to work in the morning and now we have an independent review of what really happened to Hazina, the six-year-old hippo who was shipped in a crate by truck 29 hours from the Denver Zoo and died less than a day after arriving at the Calgary Zoo, her heart giving out after awful toxins spread through her bloodstream.

Yes, with the city zoo investigating itself and with provincial and federal governments doing the old see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil routine, and with only the U.S. Department of Agriculture beginning a "thorough review" of Hazina's final journey, the Calgary Zoo opts to call in a Montreal vet -- a well-known expert in moving animals.

Dr. Clement Lanthier, the zoo poobah, decides on an outside pair of eyes, even though when the zoo looked at itself it found it didn't do anything wrong and that's as far as they planned to go.

Then again, the Denver Zoo looked at itself and found it didn't do anything wrong, and the trucking outfit looked at itself and found it didn't do anything wrong, and the vets on both sides of the border looked at themselves and found they didn't do anything wrong.

Yet, what we have is a dead hippo on our hands, a cause of death, and everyone is dumbfounded on how it happened or what could have been done to prevent it. Who do we need to bring in, CSI?

Anyway, here is the Calgary Zoo's numero uno:

"It is absolutely imperative Calgarians receive an unbiased and authoritative report on the procedures followed by the zoo in receiving and shipping animals. People deserve to know the zoo acted professionally and responsibly in this tragic situation. At the same time, we hope the report will correct the misinformation and speculation that had surfaced over the last several days."

The misinformation, according to the zoo, is a report, not on this page, that Hazina couldn't move at all in her crate. Actually, it seems she could stand up and move, but reports say while in her long stretch in the crate she refused her favourite treat ples -- and for many long hours laid down with her legs under her.

Enter Dr. Jacques Dancosse, who is on the animal care team of the International Air Transport Association, a group responsible for setting and enforcing standards for the safe moving of live animals, including those sent from one zoo to another.

His report is expected to be done in about six weeks and will be made public. The Calgary Zoo is "anxious" it confirms they are in the clear.

"In our preliminary review, we didn't see any big glaring issues. When she arrived, she was in pretty bad shape," says the zoo's Laurie Herron, referring to Hazina.

Bad shape, as in she couldn't stand up, despite the fact all along the way she was reportedly checked out and she was fine or doing about as fine as a hippo stuck in a crate for 29 hours can do.

"People here struggled to keep her going. It was an emotional and difficult experience and no one is taking this lightly. We recognize there are members of the public who are questioning what happened."

No kidding.

Laurie says the zoo will co-operate with another review going on south of the border and is treating this probe by Dr. Dancosse like a fatality inquiry, where fingers are not pointed but recommendations are made.

"If he comes back with recommendations, we'll take them to heart because we don't want this ever to happen again."

Just for the curiosity of this columnist, the question is asked once more. Did the province or the federal government get in touch with the zoo on Hazina's death?

You want the short answer? No. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is an arrogant outfit with a spokesperson in Calgary who should be inspecting muskox meat in Tuktoyaktuk.

The province of Alberta? Well, George Groeneveld, the agriculture minister and the person responsible for the province's animal protection laws, is safe and sound and reportedly still taking some down time in Blackie after what can only be seen as a strenuous $56,000 taxpayer-funded jaunt to the Far East.

George's people left Hazina's case with the Alberta Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, who passed it to other people, who passed it back to the province.

And, at dusk, we find out another provincial government department, this one headed by Ted Morton, is now investigating Hippogate.

At last.