2 bush dogs missing, presumed dead
Habitat was flooded; offifficials think they went underground.
An investigation into the presumed deaths of two bush dogs at the Palm Beach Zoo this week revealed that human error helped to cause their habitat to flood, officials reported Friday.
A water line that fills the pool in their habitat at Dreher Park was inadvertently left on overnight Sunday, according to zoo officials. Efforts to find the animals after the problem was spotted were unsuccessful.
“We are devastated,” said Jan Steele, the zoo’s director of wildlife care and conservation, said in a prepared statement Friday.
Bush dogs are a threatened species found in Suriname, Guyana and Peru. They are known for their soft, long fur, bushy tails and short legs. Adults are about 2 feet long and 1 foot high.
The discovery was made early Monday when keepers were checking on the animals, known as Lily and Carino. Zoo officials say the animals likely burrowed underground instead of trying to climb out of the habitat.
“They are one of a few mammal species at the zoo that burrows, and when water started rising in their See video of the bush dogs at the Palm Beach Zoo at home, they likely went underground where they sleep,” Steele said.
“We immediately pumped out all the water in the habitat and excavated every burrow. Basically after an entire day of digging, we were unable to dig any deeper without putting the infrastructure of the habitat in jeopardy.”
Zoo officialssaid they searched the habitat and nearby fences for holes and either tufts of fur or scratch marks. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversee zoos, have been informed of the incident. Both Lily and Carino had individual identifica- tion microchips, but zoo offifficials said the chips require close contact to be read, and that they were unable to get close enough to do so during excavations of the habitat.
Steele said it’s unlikely the dogs tried to escape by climbing a fence.
“It’s more likely that in this situation, they would burrow deeper, which would cause the water to flow in and the burrow to collapse,” she said in her statement.
As a result of the findings, the zoo will modify the pool feature in the habitat. The new additions will include the design of an overflow drain and extra security features for the supply line valve.
The zoo is now home to two bush dogs, a breeding pair named Osito and Dolly.