The deaths of two tapirs at the Denver Zoo were caused by the wrong dose of copper, officials said.
The Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance announced on Jan. 16 that the two Malayan tapirs, 16-year-old JonHi and 18-year-old Rinny, had died. Now, the zoo believes their deaths may have been caused by copper, a common dietary supplement that’s “essential to the overall health of the species.”
Zoo staff prescribed copper to the two animals after noticing they had low levels of the mineral in their systems, according to an update from the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance.
“We immediately took corrective actions, including a comprehensive review of dietary supplements with the potential to cause harm, and we expect additional process improvements as our broader internal review continues,” zoo officials stated in the update. “This unfortunate accident was isolated to JonHi and Rinny, with no risk to other animals, staff, volunteers, or guests.”
Malayan tapirs are an endangered species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. When healthy, the black-and-white animals can live for up to 30 years.
Zoo officials said they were “heartbroken by the loss.”
“Animal wellbeing is our highest priority, and this is an incredibly difficult outcome,” officials stated. “We are using this as an opportunity to review and strengthen internal protocols to reduce the possibility of incidents like this occurring in the future.”
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