HERE. YES, WELL, AUTHORITIES HERE AT THE PITTSBURGH ZOO AND AQUARIUM SAY THAT ANIMAL DEATHS ARE NOT UNUSUAL HERE AT THE ZOO. BUT THEY SAY THE RECENT CLUSTER OF ANIMAL DEATHS IS UNUSUAL. AND THAT IS WHY THEY WERE COMPELLED TO SHOW SOME LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY TODAY DURING THEIR NEWS BRIEFING. THIS IS DIFFERENT. THIS WAS JUST AN UNUSUAL CLUSTER. THE FACT IT WAS SO CLOSE TOGETHER, I THINK IS WHAT WAS VERY UNUSUAL. AND THAT’S WHAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BROUGHT US HERE TODAY. PITTSBURGH ZOO AND AQUARIUM CEO JEREMY GOODMAN SAYS THE PUBLIC IS USED TO HEARING ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT THE BIRTH OF NEW ANIMALS, BUT HE SAYS ANNOUNCING ANIMAL DEATHS IS NEW FOR THE ZOO. AND HE ADMITS THAT ANNOUNCING A CLUSTER OF DEATHS IN A SHORT PERIOD IS STRIKING TO THE PUBLIC. HAVING NOT HEARD IT BEFORE. UM IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY CAN GENERATE THE QUESTIONS OF WHAT’S GOING ON. HERE’S WHAT WHAT HAPPENED. ACCORDING TO ZOO AUTHORITIES, A PANDA, A LION, AN ELEPHANT CALF, A GORILLA AND SEA LION ALL DIED WITHIN THE PAST YEAR. THREE OF THE ANIMAL DEATHS OCCURRED WHEN THEY WERE UNDER AN ANESTHETIC PROCEDURE. BUT THE ZOO MAINTAINED THAT HUMAN ERROR WAS NOT A CAUSE IN THOSE DEATHS. THERE CERTAINLY WAS NO HUMAN ERROR IN ANY OF, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH ANY OF THESE. NO MISCALCULATE DRUGS, NO MIS DOSING OR ANY INAPPROPRIATE TREATMENT. UM, SO THEY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED INTERNALLY. AUTHORITIES AT THE ZOO SAY THEY MAINTAIN THEIR COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY TO THE PUBLIC, EVEN IN THE MIDST OF THE ANIMAL DEATHS. AND I CAN GUARANTEE ANIMALS HAVE ALWAYS DIED AT OUR ZOO AND AND, UH, AS AS IS EVERY ZOO. AND, UM, LIKE I SAID, I THINK THAT’S WHAT WE REALIZED, THAT WE WANTED TRANSPARENCY. BUT TRANSPARENCY WITHOUT CONTEXT, UM, IS IS VERY DIFFICULT AND CAN LEAD TO SOME FALSE ASSUMPTIONS. THAT WAS SHELDON INGRAM REPORTING THAT WE SHOULD NOTE THAT UNTIL DECEMBER, SHELDON WAS A MEMBER OF THE P
Pittsburgh Zoo officials address recent string of animal deaths
Updated: 5:46 PM EST Feb 26, 2024
Officials from the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium addressed the recent deaths of animals at the facility in a Monday morning news conference. In the past month alone, three animals have died. Five total animals have died since July 2023, leaving many people heartbroken and asking questions. However, the zoo’s president and CEO, Dr. Jeremy Goodman, said there was no human error connected to the deaths, even though three died while undergoing medical procedures, “there certainly was no human error associated with any of these, no miscalculated drugs, no misdoing, or any inappropriate treatment. They have been reviewed internally.”He also says the recent animal deaths have been hard on his staff. The zoo closed for one day for staff members to grieve. On Feb. 1, one of the zoo’s gorillas died during an anesthetic procedure. An elephant calf died after a brief illness, and a popular sea lion also died during a routine sedation. Expressing the need to be fully transparent, Goodman said there was no human error during the procedures that led to the deaths of either the gorilla or the sea lion. Three of the five animals that died were very close to their maximum life expectancy, considered geriatric. Goodman said it’s still unusual to have that many die in a cluster, which is not what the zoo is used to. Watch the full news conference in the video player aboveThose deaths come as zoo leaders are in talks to renew the park’s accreditation. As of Monday, the zoo is only accredited through the Zoological Association of America. It’s currently working to regain its accreditation with the prestigious Association of Zoos, which it voluntarily gave up in 2015. Officials said the recent deaths do not impact their attempt to renew their accreditation with the ZAA membership.
Officials from the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium addressed the recent deaths of animals at the facility in a Monday morning news conference.
In the past month alone, three animals have died. Five total animals have died since July 2023, leaving many people heartbroken and asking questions.
However, the zoo’s president and CEO, Dr. Jeremy Goodman, said there was no human error connected to the deaths, even though three died while undergoing medical procedures, “there certainly was no human error associated with any of these, no miscalculated drugs, no misdoing, or any inappropriate treatment. They have been reviewed internally.”
He also says the recent animal deaths have been hard on his staff. The zoo closed for one day for staff members to grieve.
On Feb. 1, one of the zoo’s gorillas died during an anesthetic procedure. An elephant calf died after a brief illness, and a popular sea lion also died during a routine sedation.
Expressing the need to be fully transparent, Goodman said there was no human error during the procedures that led to the deaths of either the gorilla or the sea lion.
Three of the five animals that died were very close to their maximum life expectancy, considered geriatric. Goodman said it’s still unusual to have that many die in a cluster, which is not what the zoo is used to.
Watch the full news conference in the video player above
Those deaths come as zoo leaders are in talks to renew the park’s accreditation. As of Monday, the zoo is only accredited through the Zoological Association of America. It’s currently working to regain its accreditation with the prestigious Association of Zoos, which it voluntarily gave up in 2015.
Officials said the recent deaths do not impact their attempt to renew their accreditation with the ZAA membership.