Calgary Zoo Determines Unauthorized Pants Caused River Otter Death

Summary: Calgary Zoo's investigation finds unauthorized pants caused a river otter death Thursday, Feb. 11, when Logan drowned while entangled in a pant leg.

Logan's tragic drowning leaves three remaining river otters (16-year-old Callebaut, 12-year-old Charlotte, one-year-old Finnegan) in the Canadian Wilds section's Cequel Lodge: Global Calgary @GlobalCalgary, via Twitter Feb. 12, 2016

A pair of pants given as an unauthorized enrichment item by two Calgary Zoo staff members caused a river otter death when 12-year-old Logan drowned Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, from entanglement in a pant leg, according to investigation results released Wednesday, Feb. 17.

“Investigation into Otter Death Complete,” a media release tweeted by the Calgary Zoo at 9:13 a.m. Feb. 17, shares the results of the zoo’s investigation into the river otter death.

“It was determined that an unauthorized enrichment item -- a pair of pants -- was given to the otters by a zookeeper. A necropsy revealed that the otter drowned after becoming tangled in the pants. The investigation identified that zoo protocols were broken by two staff members who have been disciplined,” the media release states.

In a later Facebook posting, at 12:59 p.m., the Calgary Zoo notes that species protocols are not public documents. Authorized enrichment items are identified on each animal’s protocol list.

“The pants were not on the otter’s list,” states the Facebook post.

Animal enrichment items are meant to promote well-being through involvement in interesting, species-typical activities.

“We would normally give them things to climb and float on, as well as things like mussels and clams,” Colleen Baird, Calgary Zoo’s general curator explains Wednesday, Feb. 17, to Calgary Herald reporter Shawn Logan.

The Calgary Zoo attributes the river otter death to human error.

“This error is simply unacceptable,” Baird states in the Feb. 17 media release. “Our animal care protocols are among the most stringent in the industry and must be followed. We will be reinforcing our protocols with every member of our Animal Care staff to prevent an incident like this from ever happening again.”

The announcement of the river otter death reveals that, at approximately 11 a.m. Feb. 11, a zookeeper jumped into the pool at Cequel Energy Lodge in the Canadian Wilds section of the Calgary Zoo to rescue a distressed North American river otter. The river otter was brought to the surface of the pool and then conveyed to veterinary technologists, known as vet techs. Resuscitation efforts failed.

“We are sad to report that our 12-year-old male North American river otter, Logan, has passed away,” the Calgary Zoo announces in “Sad Loss in Canadian Wilds,” a media release tweeted at 1:08 p.m. Feb. 11.

“This is a very tragic incident that we are all trying to cope with. We appreciate the consideration while we continue to sort out the details of today’s event,” Baird states in the media release.

Endemic to Canada and the United States, North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) easily handle both land and water environments. River otters are known for their intelligence and playfulness. Their communication system includes a range of sounds, from hisses to whistles. In the water, river otters like to pop their heads above the surface like periscopes, make a quick scan of above-water goings on and then resume their underwater activities.

Logan leaves behind three North American river otters in Calgary Zoo’s otter habitat at Cequel Energy Lodge. Callebaut, a 16-year-old male, now shares the pool with 12-year-old Charlotte and her year-old offspring, Finnegan.

Baird reports that the trio is not displaying adverse reactions to the loss of Logan.

“We’re monitoring the otters and so far we’re not seeing any changes in their behaviour,” Baird told Calgary Herald reporter Shawn Logan.

illustration of the Canadian Otter (Lontra canadensis) by English antiquary, illustrator and naturalist Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Hamilton Smith (Dec. 26, 1776-Sep. 21, 1859) in The Animal Kingdom Arranged in Conformity With its Organization by the Baron Cuvier With Additional Descriptions of All the Species Hitherto Named, and of Many Not Before Noticed by Edward Griffith and Others, Volume the Second (London: George R. Whittaker, MDCCCXVII [1817]), opposite page 315: Biodiversity Heritage Library (BioDivLibrary), Public Domain, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/50036415243/;

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Logan's tragic drowning leaves three remaining river otters (16-year-old Callebaut, 12-year-old Charlotte, one-year-old Finnegan) in the Canadian Wilds section's Cequel Lodge: Global Calgary @GlobalCalgary, via Twitter Feb. 11, 2016, @ https://twitter.com/GlobalCalgary/status/697938033925103617

illustration of the Canadian Otter (Lontra canadensis) by English antiquary, illustrator and naturalist Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Hamilton Smith (Dec. 26, 1776-Sep. 21, 1859) in The Animal Kingdom Arranged in Conformity With its Organization by the Baron Cuvier With Additional Descriptions of All the Species Hitherto Named, and of Many Not Before Noticed by Edward Griffith and Others, Volume the Second (London: George R. Whittaker, MDCCCXVII [1817]), opposite page 315: Biodiversity Heritage Library (BioDivLibrary), Public Domain, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/50036415243/; Public Domain, via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33298633; Public Domain Mark, via Wellcome Collection @ https://wellcomecollection.org/works/wfbj6jaw/items?canvas=370&manifest=2; Public Domain, Google-Digitized, via HathiTrust @ https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31822041825779&seq=370&view=1up; Public Domain, Google-Digitized, via HathiTrust @ https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.31822041825779?urlappend=%3Bseq=370%3Bownerid=113774786-374;

For further information:

Exton-Parder, Trish, and Larissa Mark. "Investigation into Otter Death Complete." Calgary Zoo > Media Releases. Feb. 17, 2016.
Available @ http://www.calgaryzoo.com/media-releases/investigation-otter-death-complete

Exton-Parder, Trish, and Larissa Mark. "Sad loss in Canadian wilds." Calgary Zoo > Media Releases. Feb. 11, 2016.
Available @ http://www.calgaryzoo.com/media-releases/sad-loss-canadian-wilds

Global Calgary‏ @GlobalCalgary. "Calgary Zoo saddened by loss of Logan, the river otter." Twitter. Feb. 11, 2016.
Available @ https://twitter.com/GlobalCalgary/status/697938033925103617

Johnson, Kaitlyn. "Otter death at Calgary Zoo blamed on a pair of pants." Calgary Buzz. Feb. 17, 2016.
Available @ http://calgarybuzz.com/2016/02/calgary-zoo-loses-otter-due-becoming-tangled-pants/

Logan, Shawn. "Calgary Zoo blames otter death on a pair of pants." Calgary Herald > News > Local News. Feb. 17, 2016.
Available @ http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/calgary-zoo-blames-otter-death-on-a-pair-of-pants

NewsBeat Social. "River Otter Dies at Canadian Zoo After Getting Tangled in Pants." YouTube. Feb. 18, 2016.
Available @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLigORpHxgI

Offin, Sarah. "Otter found struggling in pool dies at Calgary Zoo." Global News. Feb. 11, 2016.
Available @ http://globalnews.ca/news/2512850/otter-found-struggling-in-pool-dies-at-calgary-zoo/