The meerkats were named Nkosi, Lula, Nya, Kgala, and Ari and came to the zoo as a group of siblings in 2013. Zoo officials said they use dye to mark the animals so they can differentiate between them, but sadly the toxin in the dye led to their death.
Five meerkats have died mysteriously at a Philadelphia zoo after being exposed to an unknown toxin from a dye used to mark the animals.The meerkats - named Nkosi, Lula, Nya, Kgala, and Ari - came to the zoo as a group of siblings in 2013.
As a way of differentiating the animals, zoo officials use dye to mark them, according to Rachel Metz, the zoo's vice president of animal well-being. She said the zoo has been using the same dye - called Nyanzol-D - for more than three decades without incident."We've been implementing a robust internal and external fact-finding mission."The dye was used on the meerkats 1 June , and shortly after, one of them was found dead about 30 minutes later, officials said.The four others started showing signs of acute illness minutes later, so veterinary staff anesthetised them and started to pump their stomachs.
She added:"Our staff spend more time with these animals than they do with their own families or even their pets at home. "So there's a real legitimate bond they feel with the animals, and obviously, they're devastated right now."
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