Philadelphia Zoo investigating after all 5 meerkats die within weeks: 'It's really tough'

The Philadelphia Zoo's five meerkats all died this month, prompting an investigation into what caused the sudden deaths. And zoo officials suspect an animal dye keepers have used for years might be the culprit.

Problems for the zoo began on June 1, when the meerkat keepers noticed the meerkats were not acting normally. The keepers called the veterinary team to help, but one of the meerkats still died that day, said Amy Shearer, the zoo's chief marketing, communications and experience officer. Three died in the next 36 hours and the last one died on Monday.

Shearer said the "whole team and veterinary team came together" to try to save the animals, but despite their best efforts, the "sudden illness" caused all five meerkats to pass.

The zoo immediately notified the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulating body of zoos and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and the zoo is now working with the groups on the investigation, Shearer added.

The animal dye was used for decades

The five meerkats were siblings named Nkosi, Lula, Nya, Kgala, and Ari who came to the Philadelphia Zoo together in 2013. The zoo has used a dye to distinguish them for the last 30 years, Shearer said. But it could be related to their deaths.

"We suspect that there might be something with the animal dye that we've used for three decades at the zoo, and not just on these animals … but we don't know what that is," Shearer said. "We don't know if it's the product, something's wrong with it, it was applied wrong, we don't know. That's what the fact-finding process will (find)."

The zoo has since stopped using the dye on all animals out of caution, she said. There are also signs posted near the meerkat exhibit alerting visitors about what happened to the five meerkats.

More recent meerkat news:One animal dead, nine under observation after fire at Metro Richmond Zoo

The zoo staff is devastated

While it has been a hard time for the zoo staff, the support they have received has been welcomed and appreciated.

"It's really tough," Shearer said, adding that the entire staff is devastated. "Some of our keeper team spend more time with these animals than they do their own families so it's been particularly difficult," Shearer said, noting the zoo is grateful for the support "helping us all get through it."

Contributing: The Associated Press

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