"Danielle" seriously injured when she became tangled in electric fence at Zoo on Friday. She was euthanized Saturday at the University of Guelph.
Date: 2009-03-23
By Lauren Gilchrist
Staff at The Riverview Park and Zoo are dealing with the loss of Danielle the camel.
Danielle, a 19-year-old Bactrian camel, sustained life threatening injuries after she became entangled in an electric fence wire at the zoo on Thursday (March 19).
Dr. Sallaway provided emergency care to stabilize her condition and she was transported Friday (March 20) to the Toronto Zoo large animal health care facility for further treatment.
She was later taken to the University of Guelph where she underwent a lengthy surgery, but the surgical team was unable to repair and stabilize her jaw. It was decided that Danielle should be euthanized to end her suffering.
Jack Sisson, curator at the Riverview Park and Zoo, says they don't really understand how Danielle became caught in the electric fence but their theory is that something spooked her. He says they have since removed the electric fence from the camel pen.
"We've never had anything like this," he notes.
Danielle has been living at the zoo since last fall and was on loan from the Toronto Zoo.
Zoo staff are not the only ones feeling the loss of Danielle. Mr. Sisson says camels like to be in groups and Tash, the zoo's remaining camel, is missing his friend.
"He's OK. He's not moving around as he normally would. He's a little depressed, but that's to be expected," says Mr. Sisson.
He notes the zoo was looking for another camel even before Danielle's death, so they are continuing that search.
Riverview Park and Zoo camel "Danielle" dies - myKawartha
