Hippo's death at Calgary Zoo under investigation

A veterinarian will conduct an independent review of how Hazina the hippo died after a 29-hour road trip from Denver to Calgary, secured in a crate on a climate-controlled truck.

"We hope the report will correct the misinformation and speculation that has surfaced over the last several days," Dr. Clment Lanthier, the Calgary Zoo's president and CEO, said in a news release Thursday.

The six-year-old hippo left the Denver Zoo on Oct. 25, reaching the Calgary Zoo the next day for a breeding program. Officials say that when she arrived, she was in distress and couldn't stand up. Hazina died a day later.

Doug Whiteside, the Calgary Zoo's veterinarian, said Hazina had been lying in one position in the crate for too long, which damaged her leg muscles, leading to a release of toxins into the bloodstream and overwhelming her heart.

Both zoos say they followed regular procedures and precautions in shipping large animals.

The review into Hazina's death will be done by Dr. Jacques Dancosse, a veterinarian based in Montreal and a member of the animal-care team of the International Air Transport Association, which sets standards for the safe transport of live animals.

The Denver Zoo said Wednesday it hired Planned Migration, an experienced animal transport company, to move Hazina. The hippo was travelling in a crate 4.8 metres long, 1.5 metres wideand 1.9 metres high, a size chosen by the zoo to protect her during the trip.

Staff at the Denver Zoo began familiarizing Hazina with the crate with daily training sessions in mid-July.

The crate gave her enough room to move forward and backward but not to turn around, which the zoo said is an established practice to keep the animal from hurting herself if the truck suddenly shifted.

2 veterinarians checked hippo at border

"I checked on Hazina every two to 3.5 hours and remained in contact with Denver Zoo throughout the trip. Hazina showed no outward signs of physical distress at any time during the drive," said Chris Danhauer, a former zookeeper and the Planned Migration owner who has transported animals for nine years.

Danhauer and another drivertookHazina in a climate-controlled truck to the Canadian border, where the hippo was inspected by two veterinarians from the U.S. Agriculture Department and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The Denver Zoo said moving Hazina by air was ruled out because no one could check on the animal during the flight and there can be unforeseen delays on the tarmac.

The review is expected to take about six weeks.