In less than two weeks, all five of the Philadelphia Zoo’s meerkats died. Now, the zoo needs to find out why.
“We had five meerkats that passed between June 1st and Monday,” Amy Shearer, chief experience officer for the zoo, said Wednesday in a phone interview. “The whole staff is devastated.” The deaths could have “possibly” been caused by an agricultural dye called Nyanzol-D, she said. “The Zoo is pursuing the possibility that the dye that has been used for 30 years to differentiate some of the animals may have caused a toxic reaction,” Shearer said.
They called the veterinary team, and quickly the first meerkat passed away. The team took the rest to a veterinary facility on campus, but that afternoon, three more died. The last one died this week. It is unknown whether the product itself is to blame, the particular batch of the product or the application of it, Shearer said, adding that not only does the Philadelphia Zoo need to get to the bottom of what happened, but peer institutions need to know as well.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
All five of the Philadelphia Zoo’s meerkats have died from a mystery toxinNkosi, Lula, Nya, Kgala, and Ari, the meerkats at the Philadelphia Zoo, all died this month. The killer: a mystery toxin.
Read more »
All 5 meerkats die from poisoning at Philadelphia Zoo within hours, officials sayFive meerkats - Nkosi, Lula, Nya, Kgala and Ari - died at Philadelphia Zoo last week in a span of just 36 to 48 hours.
Read more »
Philadelphia Zoo: Accidental deaths of 5 meerkats apparently caused by poisoning linked to dyePhiladelphia Zoo: Accidental deaths of 5 meerkats apparently caused by poisoning linked to dye.
Read more »
5 meerkats die at Philadelphia Zoo following exposure to unknown toxin, officials sayFive meerkats died at the Philadelphia Zoo last week after exposure to an unknown toxin from a dye routinely used to identify the animals, a zoo official says.
Read more »
Philadelphia Zoo looking into mysterious deaths of meerkats, possibly poisonedFive meerkats at the Philadelphia Zoo died by what's believed to have been an accidental poisoning.
Read more »
5 meerkats die at Philadelphia Zoo following exposure to unknown toxin, officials sayThe animals died after exposure to a toxin from a dye used to identify the animals, a zoo official said.
Read more »