Comments on: Rash of Zoo Deaths

By: kittenz

kittenz — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:43:22 +0000

It seems to me that there are two separate issues here. On the one hand, several chimpanzees have died in captivity, at a relatively very young age. Granted, not all animals live beyond average lifespan in any species; some simply die young. But the demise of adolescent and young adult chimps is cause for concern and should be thoroughly investigated.

On the other hand, most of the deaths reported here are of animals who lived much longer than their species’ average lifespan. It’s sad to lose animals that have been such longstanding, beloved members of their local communities, but the fact that they lived to such ages is a testament to the continuing improvements in the understanding, housing, nutrition, and veterinary care of zoo animals.

By: Loren Coleman

Loren Coleman — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 23:08:36 +0000

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, of June 20, 2008, one of the oldest giraffes in this country, 29-year-old Twigga died yesterday at the Philadelphia Zoo, her home since 1979. Twigga was born at the Knoxville Zoo and was described as “an extraordinarily gentle giraffe.”

She is the second giraffe to die at the zoo this year. Puzzles, who was 27, died in March 2008, due to age related problems.

As mentioned in the posting above, earlier this month, Petal, then the oldest African elephant in the nation at 52, died at this same zoo.

By: TaishaMcGee

TaishaMcGee — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:51:07 +0000

My un-researched and half-a**ed idea is that American zoos only started to get really popular and modernized 30-50 years ago…about the time that they acquired many of these animals.

I have a membership to Woodland Park and Amy’s passing is very sad. When Simon the Siamang passes on, I will be devastated!

Also, an octopus at the Seattle Aquarium died recently too.

By: cryptidsrus

cryptidsrus — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:11:56 +0000

Sad. Very sad.

First bees, then frogs, then zoo animals.

Sheesh…

By: cryptozooman

cryptozooman — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:23:35 +0000

Add a tiger and 42 stingrays at the calgary zoo within the last month and four gorillas in aug 2007

By: Andrew Minnesota

Andrew Minnesota — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 06:00:33 +0000

Very sad but with these animals so spread out across the world I don’t think there is really anything mysterious about it, rather it seems to be just unhappy coincidences.