Chuck Chiang, Vancouver Sun
June 2009
Sadly... Calgary Zoo officials will now begin the search for the 12 rays at the exhibit.
Caribbean cownose ray
The Calgary Zoo will close its Cownose ray exhibit - which gained
notoriety after 41 of the marine animals died last year - in the next few
weeks, officials said Friday.
Zoo officials said the key reason for closing the exhibit - never intended
to be permanent - was the cost of the improvements needed.
"Although the new equipment we added last year has improved the life
support system, to further improve the system to allow us to increase the
ray population or to add other aquatic species would represent a significant
financial investment," said Cathy Gaviller, the zoo's director of
conservation, education and research.
Gaviller adds that the zoo will look into starting a new exhibit instead.
The exhibit consists of a 37,000-litre tank in the Elephant Crossing
building of the zoo. It was relaunched late last year with five new rays
after the deaths of the previous batch of animals - the cause of which
remains unexplained.
Animal activists had protested the relaunch of the exhibit, calling the
restock irresponsible.
Zoo officials had said the ray exhibit is "very popular," adding at the time
of the relaunch they are confident safety issues have been addressed.
Experts say Cownose rays are known for doing well while living in captivity
outside of their native Atlantic Ocean habitat. Many zoos - and a baseball
stadium in Tampa, Florida, home of the Tampa Bay Rays major league team -
house the animals.
Calgary Zoo officials will now begin the search for the 12 rays at the
exhibit.
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