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A couple of friends and I went to Guzoo on May 5th 2008, my friends having never been there before. According to Guzoo's website, the summer of 2007 was a summer of great growth and change for the zoo. I was expecting a drastic change in cleanliness of enclosures in addition to enrichment for the animals. I was preparing myself for a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, the changes have been minimal and substandard to say the least. They are still violating a number of Zoo Regulations that are obvious to anybody that has bothered to read them.

I have organized the following pictures into sections explaining what regulations, as far as I can tell, are being violated. You can read the regulations yourself HERE.

Click on the arrows to expand the section you want to view.


The stated purpose of the animal exhibit standards is “to ensure the exhibits meet the needs of the animals that will occupy them”
 

 

Section III. E. General Animal Care Standards states that “Animals must be provided with nutritious food as set out in the veterinary written agreement and a potable water source must be available to all animals at all times” and “Feeding and watering containers must be kept clean and self-feeders and watering devices must be checked daily.”

 

During our visit virtually all but a few of the smaller enclosures water containers were dirty. Some water had obviously not been changed for some time, as the muck building up at the bottom was visible, and the water was green with algae. According to Guzoo, their water is green because they don’t use chlorine in their water. However, an alga doesn’t just sprout up immediately; it takes a bit of time to grow. The difference between clean water with a bit of debris in it and water that is actually brown, filthy, and well past being drinkable is clear. They seem to provide animals with as large of container as possible  so that they don't have to change it as often, but unfortunately, this leaves a lot of time for the water to be contaminated.

 

The automatic watering device in the Elk enclosure appeared to not be working, as it was completely dry. Someone had dug a pit in the mud and had filled it with water, apparently to act as a water source. This is clearly inappropriate, a breeding ground for disease and mosquitoes, and impossible to keep clean.


The New Guinea Singing Dogs and Silver Foxes were fed kibble that was simply thrown onto the ground. This leaves it susceptible to contamination by pests, moisture, bugs, and the animals themselves. One NGSD had food provided to him in a large bucket, with far more food then it could eat in a day or two. This leaves plenty of time for contamination by pests and for excessive moisture build up and mold growth.

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Section III. E. General Animal Care Standards states that “Buildings and substrates to which animals have access must be kept clean as follows:

•  Washable surfaces must be washed clean and disinfected regularly to prevent potentially dangerous accumulations of organic and inorganic materials and organisms.

•  Substrates which cannot be washed must be cleaned of gross waste (e.g., perishable food and animal waste) on a daily basis (enclosures smaller than 0.5 acres) and less frequently for larger enclosures. The animal care protocol may indicate longer cleaning intervals for some species to reduce psychological stress. To facilitate cleaning all areas of the enclosures must be accessible to keepers.

•  Substrates such as loose bedding material must be changed if soiled with feces and urine and any bedding provided must be kept dry and changed on a regular basis.”



It was obvious and undeniable that the vast majority of the cages at Guzoo had not been cleaned for at least half a week, if not a week or more for some of the filthier ones.


 

Section III. B. 1. General Exhibit Standards states that “Exhibit enclosures must be of a sufficient size to provide for the physical well being of the animal. All animal exhibits must be of a size and complexity sufficient to provide for the animal’s physical and social needs and species typical behaviours and movements.” And that “Enclosures must be of a sufficient size and design to allow individual animals the opportunity to avoid or withdraw from contact with other animals in the enclosure or remove themselves from the view of visitors using topography (e.g. large earth mounds, large rocks), fixed features (e.g. fences, walls screening, shelter boxes), moveable fixtures (e.g. brush piles, root balls) or other design methods.”


There are a number of exhibits at Guzoo that are too small for the species they contain or housed far to many animals for the amount of space provided.



 

Section III. B. 1. General Exhibit Standards states that “All animals must be maintained in numbers sufficient to meet their social and behavioural needs”.
 

Section II. A. Animal Collection Management Standards states that “Breeding of animals in the zoo facility may take place if it is approved as part of the Zoo Development Plan. If not approved, breeding must be prevented through drug therapy, appropriate management (i.e. opposite sexes kept in separate enclosures) or sterilization.”


Since the Government of Alberta, for whatever reason, decided to withhold the Zoo Development Plan as put forward by Guzoo Animal Farm, it's impossible to determine whether Guzoo has been complying to the breeding rules/regulations that have been put in place for them.

However, there were many baby animals being produced within the zoo facility including rabbits (multiple babies present) chinchillas (Newborn babies present), lions (the single baby lion was at a photo shoot in Calgary at the time of our visit), snow macaques (a single snow macaque baby was seen), Cats (a pregnant cat and a nursing cat were housed in the same cage as an intact Tom), Basset Hounds (a female with a litter was located in the petting barn), lemurs (the zoo owner said he expected baby lemurs any day now), Barbados sheep, goats, and pot bellied pigs. They have many intact male/female animals together that have no offspring, but that likely isn't a permanent thing.


Because Guzoo is already ill-equipped for the animals they are already housing and are currently housing animals in 'temporary enclosures', breeding more animals to add to the zoo is irresponsible. Not only do they take up space, but they require the use of valuable resources to raise them. Many of the species bred there are over populated within the pet and zoo market, including lions and snow macaques, and many of them require expert care and supervision to produce quality young, something which Guzoo is not providing to them.

 

Section III. B. 1. General Exhibit Standards states that “Animals must be protected from injurious heat and cold associated with ambient outdoor conditions or any other weather conditions that are detrimental to their health.”

       Quite a few of Guzoo's animals didn't have sufficient enclosures to protect all of the animals in the enclosure at once from all types of weather conditions,  including rain, snow, wind, heat, or cold.  These included the elk, some of the new guinea singing dogs, some of the water fowl, one of the snow macaques, an owl, a capuchin, and a bob cat.

 

Section III. B. 1. General Exhibit Standards states that “Since water is a significant element in the life cycle of many diseases and parasites, enclosures must be landscaped in a fashion that prevents accumulation of standing water within the enclosures.”

Conditions were dry during our visit, but there has been no evident change in landscaping since our visit last April when the entire zoo was a soaking muddy mess. Water had begun draining from cages into public pathways, and the animals were trudging through  mud. Even the animals inside the petting barn, which obviously has a leak, were wading in a few inches of water. View the pictures from last Aprils visit to see Guzoo's drainage.

A drainage issue was noted in the Capybara/Goose enclosure however.
 

Section III. D. Animal Behaviour Husbandry Standards states that “The purpose of these standards is to facilitate development of animal enrichment that improves the psychological well being of the animals. Enrichment consists of a range of measures, including fixed exhibit features, non-fixed features and novel objects that attempt to provide a more stimulating environment for the animals.†And that “there must be a written document outlining an enrichment program for each species, species group or species assemblage (if appropriate) at the exhibit level that may include fixed features, non-fixed features and how food is made available.â€

NONE of Guzoos animals had suitable enrichment provided to them. Animal Enrichment is more then just tire swings or a rope hanging from the ceiling. Enrichment is defined by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association as:

"a process for improving or enhancing animal environments and care within the context of their inhabitant's behavioral biology and natural history. It is a dynamic process in which changes to structures and husbandry practices are made with the goal of increasing behavioral choices available to animals and drawing out their species-appropriate behaviors and abilities, thus enhancing animal welfare" (AZA/ BAG, 1999).

It is important to note the point that the enrichment must be used in order to achieve the goal of inducing natural species-specific behaviors that would be observed in the wild.  The entire point is to add complexity and unpredictability to the animals life, and to give the animal a sense of control and choice within their highly controlled lives. In the wild, their environment is constantly changing and they must constantly adjust and react. They are never bored or without things to do and they are constantly having to make choices and decisions according to their surroundings.

There are multiple types of enrichment:
(View Source )

Physical Environment

Modifications to physical elements of the exhibit and the addition of novel items to animal habitats may stimulate natural behaviors, as the following examples illustrate.

  • pools for swimming or mud holes for wallowing;
  • live and artificial plants for shade or visual barriers;
  •  furniture (ropes, branches, etc.) moved, added or removed from an exhibit to create new locomotive pathways and encourage     exploratory behaviors;
  • non-stationary furniture to add unpredictability to locomotion;
  • novel objects changed frequently to stimulate investigative behaviors;
  • a variety of substrates for tactile stimulation or digging opportunities;
  • utilization of vertical as well as horizontal dimensions, when appropriate, to increase or enhance limited space.


Routine Husbandry

Variable methods of food delivery can be an effective means of enrichment. Examples include:

  • food smeared, scattered and hidden throughout the exhibit;
  • degree of processing required by the animal (e.g. whole food versus chopped);
  • timing of food delivery varied, random or triggered by a behavior or event;
  • puzzle feeders that offer animals a challenging and time-consuming method of obtaining their diet (i.e. tubes with holes drilled throughout and stuffed with small food, food placed in a box within a box within a box or artificial termite mounds.)

Social Groupings

Captive social groupings should resemble those observed in wild counterparts (Forthman-Quick, 1984; Tudge, 1992.) Many species groom, play and court according to a social hierarchy (Tudge, 1992.) Even when not involved in these actions, animals within a social group are often interacting in some fashion, whether feeding, marking territory or engaging in social behaviors. In the zoo, animal caregivers and managers must recognize the importance of natural social groupings to animal welfare and take the normal social structure of each species into account when designing and maintaining exhibits. Examples of social enrichment include:

  • housing social animals with appropriate members of their species;
  • adding visual barriers (vegetation, furniture) to the exhibit to allow animals to retreat from both conspecifics and public;
  • creating mixed species exhibits that may provide symbiotic or complementary activities between the species, or merely provide diversion.

Sensory Stimulation:

Sensory enrichment can be provided by various means:

  • spices, herbs, perfumes and animal scents (lure, feces, skins) applied around an exhibit to add an olfactory dimension;
  • playing recordings of vocalizations from conspecifics, predators or other naturally encountered sounds to elicit natural behavioral responses;
  • placing elevated platforms and perches to allow visual access to other exhibits, animals and activities;
  • incorporating simulated prey items into predator exhibits to encourage stalk-and-chase behaviors.
 

Section III. B. 1. General Exhibit Standards states that “All equipment, fixtures and vegetation must be installed in such a way that they do not present a hazard to the animals and must be maintained in good working condition.” And “Fencing must be of a design and strength suitable for the particular species and must be attached to posts firmly fixed into the ground in a manner that prevents animals from detaching the material or dislodging the posts.”


At Guzoo,  some enclosures are in a state of disrepair or are furnished or built in such a way that they  create a safety risk for the animals . These include:

  • Unsafe wires used for Amazon, Cockatoo, and Lovebirds. The wire is rusting and producing Zinc Oxide. Metals that rust are extremely toxic to parrots and results in chronic organ damage such as renal disease. By the time symptoms appear, it is usually to late.
  • Rusting, tipping playground equipment within the bear cage is impossible for these animals to climb and creates a risk of injury if they were to try.
  • Rusting old farm equipment in deer cage, endangering the flighty animals within. Even farmers know that keeping old farm equipment in pastures leaves their animals at risk of leg injuries.
  • Garbage within enclosures and along fencelines within the animals reach.
  • No double fencing between hoofstock enclosures to protect them from one another.
  • Domestic dogs have direct access to enclosures and can by-pass barrier fences and can be seen harassing animals at times. The dogs are also at risk of being injured by the caged animals as well.
  • Unsupervised Animal/Human contact occurs between dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, goats, pigs, pigeons, degus, a macaque, and multiple species of hoofstock without barrier fences. This leaves both the animals and the public at risk of potential injury.
  • Plywood is used in cages containing rabbits and chinchillas, both chewers. Plywood is extremely toxic to ingest due to the resins and glues used to bind the particles.

 

Section III. B. 1. General Exhibit Standards states that “Feeding of animals by visitors must not be allowed except in specific circumstances where food prepared by the zoo is provided to the public and amounts are carefully controlled."

Visitors are encouraged to take white bread and buns out of an unplugged freezer at Guzoo to feed the animals. Although there are a few cages with signs on them stating to not feed the animals, there is little supervision and people are seen feeding these animals anyways. Almost all of the cages had pieces of white bread and bun in them.


 

The Alberta Animal Protection Act (2.1) states that "A person who owns or is in charge of an animal must provide the animal with adequate care when the animal is wounded or ill"


The Alberta Zoo General Exhibit Standards states that  "A zoo facility must have holding facilities for the quarantine of newly arrived animals and isolation facilities for the treatment of sick/injured animals. "



Guzoo had multiple animals on display (not in isolation) that were obviously either injured or sick.





 

The majority of the cages at Guzoo have a build up of feces and many contain old food, particularly the carnivore cages, in which there were carcasses in various stages of decomposition. The lack of regular cleaning at Guzoo in addition to the drainage problem, unsupervised animal/human contact, and the presence of free roaming animals makes the spread of disease a concern to both animals and humans.

Despite past permit conditions dictating that domestic dogs are NOT to be allowed to wander the zoo, numerous pugs and basset hounds are still present throughout the zoo and even inside the animal cages. They can get past the barrier fences and approach the majority of the zoo animals directly and can enter some of the hoof-stock enclosures and guinea pig pens. The loose macaque approached a basset while running around outside of his cage.

Sinks with soap are also not present throughout the zoo and only antibacterial gel can be found, which has been proven to be ineffective against zoonotic diseases (diseases that can be transferred from animals to humans). The fact that they are planning to start serving food at Guzoo should be of concern as the potential of salmonella is high with the amount of feces and rotting meat throughout the facility.



The stated purpose for containment standards is “to prevent direct contact between zoo animals and free-ranging wildlife, domestic animals, and visitors to the zoo facility; to prevent escape from the zoo facility; to prevent the transmission of disease and/or parasites, and; to prevent interbreeding (genetic contamination) between zoo animals and free-ranging wildlife.”

 

Section II. D., Wildlife and Controlled Animal Containment Standards states that “A perimeter fence (equivalent to chain link fence) a minimum of 2.5 meters high all around all the animal enclosures will be required, unless the species held in the zoo facility already have a fully contained perimeter (e.g. amphibians and reptiles in cages within a building) or have an alternate system as identified and approved in the Zoo Development Plan.”


Guzoo does not have a completely fully contained perimeter fence around their facility. A large gate at the back of the zoo list left open and the perimeter fence ends at the wapiti enclosure, leaving an entire side of the zoo unfenced. Due to the fact that the Alberta Government didn't release the Zoo Development Plan, it is impossible to determine whether they have an alternate containment system approved by the government.

 

Section II. D., Wildlife and Controlled Animal Containment Standards states that “Individual animal enclosures and the perimeter fencing must be locked when the zoo facility is closed and staff are not present. When the zoo facility is open to the public, the perimeter fence may be unlocked; however, individual animal enclosures must remain locked except when staff are present and working with or displaying the animals.”

Although leaving gates unlocked during zoo hours is permitted, Guzoo has two large gates that are left wide open and unsupervised. If an animal was to escape, which has happened in the past, they would easily be able to escape.


Enclosures such as the outdoor rabbit cage and shed, the indoor rabbit and pigeon cages, the degu cage, bearded dragon cage, mouse cage, cat cage, outdoor guinea pig pens, and the goat/pig pen are left unlocked and unsupervised during the day. The public is free to enter the cages and open the doors to pet and pick up the animals, no matter the age.


Although the Snow Macaque cage containing the mother and baby are kept locked, the baby is able to exit through a gap in the gate and frequently runs free throughout the zoo.

 
Section II. D. Wildlife and Controlled Animal Containment Standards states that “Animals that can dig must have adequate flooring or material buried under the ground at the enclosure perimeter to prevent them from digging out of their enclosure or shelter."

Guzoo's outdoor rabbit enclosure lacked a secure bottom, a must for rabbits, which are avid diggers.

A Bobcat enclosure was also in a dangerous state of disrepair, with logs blocking gaps in the bottom of the fencing where it appears the cat has attempted to dig out.



 

Section III. B. 1. General Exhibit Standards states that “Dangerous animals that can climb or jump must be kept in completely fenced or walled enclosures with roofs, or in enclosures with fences or walls of the type and construction which prevents animals from jumping over or climbing up and over the top of the fences or walls, or enclosures surrounded by suitable dry moats or wet moats of adequate depth having sufficiently high outer-edge walls or fences above the water surfaces. These moats must be surrounded by fences, walls, hedges or other shrubbery sufficient to prevent visitor approaching too close to the edges of the moats.”

A portion of the tiger cage lacks a roof and the fencing and overhang in place are insufficient. If motivated, the tigers could go atop their shelter and jump out of the enclosure.  In San Fransisco recently, a tiger escaped from an enclosure with a much taller fence and other professionally designed barriers and killed a visitor, and injured another.  Tigers had been kept in that enclosure for years prior without incident, but taunting by the victim motivated the tiger enough for it to make the attempt.  The tiger was later euthanized.  The lack of supervision at Guzoo leaves their visitors and animals at risk of the same fate.

 

Section II. H., Public and Staff Safety Standards, states that “Effective guardrails or barriers must be constructed to prevent contact between the visiting public and any animals posing a safety hazard.”

Multiple enclosures at Guzoo with potentially dangerous animals did not have stand-off barriers.
Visitors could directly approach these animals.
 

Public Staff and Safety Standards states that "Animals in areas where direct contact with visitors is possible must pose no danger to the public, be comfortable with human contact, and be under direct supervision by zoo staff"

There are multiple areas within the zoo where visitors are permitted to interact directly with animals without zoo staff present. In the petting barn, visitors are free to pick up and handle rabbits, puppies, kittens, degus, pigeons, and guinea pigs. Outside the petting barn, a pen with rabbits is left unlocked as well.

The most disturbing and dangerous sight we saw at Guzoo was the escape of the 1 year old Japanese Snow Macaque. When we first saw him, we shouted "A monkey is out!" the one staff member nearby seemed unconcerned. The monkey thumped a basset hound on the back, ran up the side of the raccoon cage, jumped down, and climbed onto the barrier fence where he approached a v isitor. The visitor inquired "will he bite?" to which the staff member replied "I don't think so!". He went on to explain that he has been escaping for a few weeks, as he slips out through the gap in the gate, but he "doesn't  tend to go far". He was completely unconcerned and went on with what he was doing.

We were so disturbed by this because of the severity of macaque bites. 80-90% of adult macaques carry the Herpesvirus simiae or B-virus, which can cause potentiall fatal meningoencephalitis in humans.  The virus  is shed by these animals in their saliva and feces, so even being sneezed on by a macaque can be dangerous,  let alone being bitten.  In professionally run zoos,  many refuse  to display macaques due to the risk, and those that do have strict precautions such as protective clothing, glasses, and masks. And of course, they do not allow visitor/macaque contact or free ranging  macaques throughout the zoo!


The most alarming part of our visit was the last hour we were there; the macaque was out and running about and there was absolutely no staff presence at the zoo. We searched for staff for an hour, but their trucks were gone as well. If someone was to be injured by the loose macaque, there was nobody there to help them.


Another concern was the visitor/lemur contact.  Visitors were permitted, under supervision, to enter the lemur enclosure with the adult lemurs, where they proceeded to climb all over the person. The supervising staff member did NOT enter the cage with the guest, instead shutting her in while he watched from outside. When two lemurs began fighting a foot away from the visitors head, the staff member seemed unconcerned. They broke out into a deafening chorus of yelling, when the visitor got nervous and let herself out of the enclosure.  Allowing this contact is potentially very dangerous as the lemurs are very strong, have very large teeth and tough bites, and were obviously riled up by the woman's presence.

 

Section II. H., Public and Staff Safety Standards, states that “Animals must be safely confined. Enclosures with potentially dangerous animals must have double door entry systems or a separate, secure shift area where the animals can be secured during routine maintenance, cleaning or veterinary care.”

Many enclosures housing dangerous animals didn't have shift areas or double entry ways  including  a Bob Cat,  Siberian Lynx, New Guinea Singing Dogs,  two Macaque enclosures, the Cougar enclosure, and the Serval enclosure.

Education

 

Section II. G., Conservation Education Standards, states that “The purpose of these standards is to promote positive attitudes about wildlife by providing information and knowledge to the public. The standards for education programs for wildlife and controlled animals in a zoo facility are:

•The zoo must have an active educational program as outlined in the Zoo Development Plan and all exhibits must have signs that identify the species and provide information about the status and range in the wild. Educational programs may also include species not present at the zoo facility (e.g. SRD has information covering species at risk). See Appendix C for further information.” Appendix C contains suggestions for the type of information that could be included in education programs.”


A number of enclosures had signs that had become unreadable due to moisture damage. They were merely sheets of paper in plastic sleeves. Other signs were apparently meant to be more humorous then educational, while others only touched briefly on a few interesting facts. They did little to teach people about the natural history, conservation status, behaviour, or biology of the animal. Some of them were even incorrect or highly debatable, such as the sign on the Chinchilla cage stating that their fur is too thick to be infested with parasites. While their fur does protect them, it does not make them immune.
 

Section II. I., Staff Experience and Training Standards, states that “The purpose of these standards is to ensure that the keepers at the zoo, whether the owner, the operator or the staff (including volunteers), have the necessary experience and training to ensure the zoo facility is operated according to the standards in this document and good zoo practice.”

The four main employees at Guzoo, including the owner, have all said in the past that they do not have any professional exotic/wild animal or zoo training, and that the only experience they do have is what they have learned while at Guzoo and past farming experience. They have a few paid teenage staff and rely on volunteers and their children.