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FDA fines zoo, orders reporting program

FDA fines zoo, orders reporting program

The Toledo Zoo has been cited and fined $1,240 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for violating federal animal welfare regulations in the death of a female sloth bear in December.

The citations cover violations of rules on feeding, watering, and veterinary care.

The zoo agreed to begin an animal reporting system for employees to address any issues on animal concerns, according to a settlement agreement from the USDA animal and plant health inspection service in Riverdale, Md.

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Agriculture department representatives could not be reached for comment last night. Department spokesman Jim Rogers said in December that the zoo could incur maximum penalties of $2,750 for each violation and could have its license revoked.

Medusa, an 18-year-old female sloth bear on loan from the Detroit Zoo, was found dead in its den from dehydration Dec. 4 “due to being placed in `forced hibernation,' where it was not fed or visually observed for more than 2 weeks,” according to the settlement agreement. “This species of bear is one which does not typically hibernate in the wild.”

The bear had been placed in isolation in the mistaken belief that it was pregnant and would enter a state of near hibernation. The bear was not pregnant, zoo officials learned after the death. They admitted they'd misunderstood the proper care of the bear, even if it had been pregnant.

Tim French, the curator of large mammals who oversaw the breeding project, signed a severance agreement in exchange for his resignation.

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The agriculture department finding was “pretty much what we had anticipated,” Doug Porter, deputy zoo director, said. “We feel pretty comfortable with the fact that [the agriculture department's concerns] have been dealt with since the [Toledo Zoo] board did its investigation months ago, and all the changes have been implemented. We will pay our fine and move on.

“We did a lot of soul-searching to see what we as an organization should do differently,” he said.

A report written in mid-December by a five-member panel of the Toledo Zoological Association, the board that oversees the zoo, cited a lack of administrative oversight in the Medusa case and recommended policies to ensure that curators get approval before isolating animals or withholding food.

Mr. Porter said the “animal reporting system” called for by the agriculture department will allow employees access to all levels of the administration, including the executive director, so that a keeper, for instance, “wouldn't be intimidated by a supervisor if they think there is an animal welfare concern.

“It will give people confidence to express themselves if they have a concern,” he said.

The zoo earlier this month accepted a 16-year-old female sloth bear, on breeding loan from the San Diego Zoo by way of a Salina, Kan., wildlife refuge. The loan was recommended by the Species Survival Plan of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.

First Published April 26, 2001, 12:46 p.m.

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