Officials at the Calgary Zoo say an illness is taking its toll on the facility’s Humboldt penguins after a second death in just a few days.
A post on the zoo’s Facebook page says that a three-year-old penguin named Juntos died late Tuesday.
Juntos also came to the Zoo from Syracuse, New York and was receiving treatment for symptoms that were similar to those that killed another penguin on Monday.
On Monday, Guillermo, another three-year-old Humboldt, died after a brief illness and the zoo’s senior staff veterinarian says both deaths appear to have been caused by a bacterial infection.
The zoo is waiting for results of post-mortem examinations but say they believe the infection was caused by Chlamydophila psittaci which can affect both wild and captive bird populations.
“I have conducted the post-mortem examinations on both penguins and, while we are waiting for confirmation, the results are most consistent with an infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydophila psittaci, a disease that can affect both wild and captive bird populations including penguins,” said Dr. Doug Whiteside, Senior Staff Veterinarian with the Calgary Zoo. “Test results will confirm this diagnosis, but in the meantime we are treating the remaining eight Humboldts and two gentoos that share the outdoor exhibit to do our best to prevent further losses.”
Zoo keepers are trying to contain the infection to prevent further deaths and say the disease has caused outbreaks in penguin groups at other zoos.
They also say the disease can be latent for years and that it is possible the Humboldts were carriers before they arrived here in Calgary.
The zoo says the penguins have just completed their annual molt and the weight loss and stress can make them more susceptible to infections.
The birds that are currently being treated will remain in the outdoor exhibit area and will be kept separate from those at Penguin Plunge.
