Alarm System Activated – 54 Stingrays Still Died At Chicago-Area Zoo


Oxygen levels in the Stingray Bay exhibit at Brookfield Zoo dropped inexplicably on Friday. The alarm system? sounded, alerting staff, and emergency measures were taken to restart the pumps within 20 minutes of the alarm. Unfortunately, the zoo’s medical staff was unable to save any of the rays.

Bill Zeigler, senior vice president of animal programs for the Chicago Zoological Society, stated in a press release,

“We are devastated by the tragic loss of these animals. Our staff did everything possible to try and save the animals, but the situation could not be reversed.”

A passing cow-nose ray is shown in the Stingray Bay habitat at Brookfield Zoo in this undated photo.   (Chicago Zoological Society)
A passing cow-nose ray is shown in the Stingray Bay habitat at Brookfield Zoo in this undated photo.
(Chicago Zoological Society)

The Stingray Bay exhibit is an interactive tank that allows visitors to touch the rays, participate in feeding the rays. The exhibit has been open since 2007 and logged more than 200,000 visitors last year.

The devastating?total for this incident was four southern rays and 50 cow-nose rays. But this was not the first loss suffered at the zoo. In 2008, due to a malfunction of the heating unit for the tank, the zoo lost 19 stingrays when the tank temperature rose 10 degrees.

Brittany Peet, deputy director of captive animal law enforcement for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), calls this type of interactive exhibit a “death trap,” adding in a Chicago Tribune interview,

“At this point, 70 animals have died at the Brookfield Zoo as a result of malfunctions with their tank and it’s time for them to close down their tank for good. Their lives are worth more than the cheap thrill of touching one of the these animals.”

The investigation into this incident is still underway. Zeigler stated,

“Our staff is still hurting after the incident. So far, the community has been very supportive.”

The exhibit has been closed for the remainder of the summer and a determination on whether or not to reopen it in the future is being discussed.