CALGARY- A fungal infection has claimed the life of yet another penguin at the Calgary Zoo—the sixth this year and the seventh since December.
Staff made the decision to euthanize a 14-year-old male Gentoo penguin named Houdini, after he contracted severe aspergillosis. He had been sick for nearly a month, and was being treated intensively.
A necropsy confirmed the fungal infection which affects the respiratory system, and is a common cause of death among captive penguins.
Officials say the June flood that devastated the zoo may be a contributing factor to the outbreak.
“We are concerned that the summer flood has increased some of our risk factors as the high levels of dampness create an environment that allows the fungus to proliferate,” explained Dr. Sandie Black, head of Veterinary Services. “We have taken additional measures that include air quality testing for presence of spores, increasing the frequency of air filter changes and enhancing our already stringent husbandry practices.”
As a precaution, all penguins have been proactively treated for aspergillosis.
Houdini is the third penguin to die from the infection. One named Eduardo died in October, and Asa passed away in February.
Three others have died since December, including one that had to have surgery to remove a stick that she’d swallowed.
The Penguin Plunge exhibit opened in February 2012.
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