News Release
 
Contact: Sondra Katzen, Public Relations, 708.688.8351, sondra.katzen@czs.org
 
April 16, 2019
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Brookfield Zoo Mourns Loss of North American River Otter Pup

 
Brookfield, Ill. – Chicago Zoological Society staff is devastated to announce the loss of its North American river otter pup, who was born on February 26.

Over the past weekend, the young pup’s health declined significantly impacting his well-being, and leading animal care and veterinary staff to make the difficult decision to humanely euthanize him. Staff had been hand-rearing the young pup and giving him round-the-clock care when it was determined that his mother was not able to provide him with the proper nourishment he needed.

 “This was an enormously hard decision to make, but to prevent the otter from any further suffering, we determined this was the only viable course of action,” said Bill Zeigler, senior vice president of animal programs for the Chicago Zoological Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo.

 
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About the Chicago Zoological Society
The mission of the Chicago Zoological Society is to inspire conservation leadership by engaging people and communities with wildlife and nature. The Chicago Zoological Society is a private nonprofit organization that operates Brookfield Zoo on land owned by the Forest Preserves of Cook County. The Society is known throughout the world for its international role in animal population management and wildlife conservation. Its Center for the Science of Animal Care and Welfare is at the forefront of animal care that strives to discover and implement innovative approaches to zoo animal management. Brookfield Zoo is the first zoo in the world to be awarded the Humane Certified™ certification mark for the care and welfare of its animals, meeting American Humane Association’s rigorous certification standards. Open every day of the year, the zoo is located at 8400 31st Street in Brookfield, Illinois, between the Stevenson (I-55) and Eisenhower (I-290) expressways and also is accessible via the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), Metra commuter line, CTA and PACE bus service. For further information, visit CZS.org.
 

MEDIA CONTACT:

Sondra Katzen
Media Relations Manager
Office: 708-688-8351
Cell Phone: 708-903-2071
E-mail: Sondra.Katzen@CZS.org

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