Mystery At The Zoo
Friday, July 25, 2008
Woodland Park Zoo gazelle dies from injuries
'A Grant’s gazelle at Woodland Park Zoo has died from injuries apparently caused by another animal in the African savanna exhibit where it lived.

Zoo staff discovered the gazelle sustained significant injuries to the face over the weekend, including a swollen eye. The 7-year-old male animal lived in the savanna exhibit with three other gazelles, giraffe, zebras, oryx and ostrich.
 
The gazelle was treated for its injuries but later died.' <read more>

It was mentioned that this is not common in zoos. Living day by day with each other, the animals are normally  compatible. Could there be a Killer Animal on the loose? I thought I'd better do a little investigating!
 
 
Aha, two of the main suspects! Are they casting longing glances at one of the remaining Grant's gazelles? They refused to answer my questions, taking the 5th amendment. Hmmmm.
 
 
 
Close by were two more suspects. 'Do you really think I could do much damage?' asked the Oryx. 'I'm not about to let anything happen to my one remaining horn. Trust me!' The Zebra just kept his head down and went on chewing. Uh huh.
 
 
 
'Oh my! Oh my! Oh my! I'm all in a tizzy!' squawked Mrs Ostrich. 'Do you know how scary this is? Who's next? Oh no! They'd better start putting alarm systems in our night quarters! You surely couldn't think it was me? I wouldn't hurt a flea!'
 
 
 
"We heard the news.' says Amanda. 'Very sad indeed. My daughter and I have been on the lookout for any suspicious activity. We'll report it right away.'
 
 
 
'Okay Ma. Time to saddle up and head out to the back forty. Maybe we'll find a clue or two over there. Giddyup!'
 
 
 
'I tell you what.' said the Lemur. 'I dunno if this means anything but last Sunday night I was just falling asleep when I saw this HUGE shadow go past the window. It was THIS big!'
 
 
 
'Hey, did you know we are NEW? We're only babies!' cried these very recent arrivals. 'We've been here less than a week! What kind of Mickey Mouse outfit is this? Now we're all scared. We wanna go home!'
 
 
 
'I'm doing my bit to help.' explained one of the older flamingos. 'I'm on the Underwater Search Team and I'm looking for clues. So far, all I'm finding is mud and stones and an old soda bottle. But I'll keep looking, dude.'
 
 
 
'No, I didn't see or hear anything even though they live really close to me. Whoever did that better not come near me or my family though!' snarled the Tiger. 'It's better I don't tell you what I'll do to them.'
 
 
 
'Nobody tells us anything. We don't know nothin' ' grumbled the Lion Tailed Macaques. 'We're stuck here away off in the corner with the elephants and tapirs. I doubt anyone would pick on them. They're too big'
 
 
 
The lion told me 'I'm a new guy too, living on the Savannah. Yeah, right in the same 'hood as the gazelle. I'm spending all my spare time looking for clues and if I find any, watch out!'
 
 
 
'And I'm new too!' harrumphs the Sun Bear. 'I was brought here to *ahem* entertain the lady sun bears but now they're so scared they won't come near me. It's always the new guy that is the suspect, huh?'
 
 
 
'ZZZzzzZZZzzzZZZzzzZZZzzz...huh? Me? I slept through the whole thing.' yawns the Snow Leopard.
 
 
 

'No, I don't know anything either.' murmured the Colobus Monkey 'The whole thing just makes me sad. The world is a scary place sometimes. I wish you luck.'

So that's it. Perhaps it was just an 'accident', a little squabble that got out of hand. Who knows? And unless those animals come up with some clues, it will probably become a Cold Case File.

Whodunnit?
 

Photographs Index