What Does The Zoo Do With Dead Animals

By Jemima Laing
BBC Devon

The male person dogie - named Kito meaning jewel - was built-in on 10 January 2011

In the wake of any death at that place are many practicalities which need to be attended to and the death of a zoo animal is no different in that respect.

Paignton Zoo'southward latest arrival, a two-week-one-time male giraffe chosen Kito, was put to sleep on Monday after developing animate problems.

Keepers had intervened to bottle-feed the Rothschild's giraffe, a species on the endangered list, only Kito was found to have other health bug.

So what happens side by side?

"When a zoo beast dies a mail service-mortem test is carried out," explained Philip Knowling from the zoo.

"This is both practiced practise and a requirement of the zoo licensing arrangement - yous tin can learn a huge amount from a post-mortem."

This is echoed by Paignton Zoo's caput vet Ghislaine Sayers.

"When an creature dies it is an ideal opportunity to screen for sub clinical diseases," said Ghislaine.

Zoo keepers are professionals but they are also human

"These are the diseases that the animal has carried with no outward signs.

"They could be historic period-related changes such as arthritis, centre illness, tumours or organ deterioration or they could be mild disease caused by pathogens or diseases, such equally metabolic bone disease, atomic number 26 storage disease, zinc toxicity, copper toxicity or deficiency.

"Sub clinical disease tin be very hard to observe in living animals simply by edifice upwardly a picture of these diseases at post-mortem we can try to minimise these problems in other animals."

Afterward the post-mortem the about usual thing is that the remains will be taken off-site to be incinerated - occasionally samples may exist kept for educational or pedagogy purposes.

"This may include skins or skulls, for case," said Philip.

Kito'due south was his female parent Sangha's get-go babe, but Philip does not think she will exist affected by his death.

"Giraffes exercise non mourn - nearly animals don't. It is frequently considered a survival strategy - in the wild, animals can't run the risk of hanging effectually a body or engaging in that sort of behaviour," said Phil.

"But elephants and some primates are known to do some things that tin can be considered equally grieving."

And so how do keeping staff react when an brute in their care dies?

"Staff are certainly affected by the death of an animal - particularly one that has been in their intendance a long fourth dimension or which has received a lot of medical attending during an affliction," said Philip.

"Keepers commonly take a range of other animals to care for, so accept to go on with their busy schedules of cleaning, food preparation and care."

"Zoo keepers are professionals just they are besides human."

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/devon/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_9376000/9376703.stm

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