A Japanese zoo has launched an investigation following seemingly killing 31 of its 40 squirrels by slip-up with treatment options meant to get rid of parasites, officials explained.
Keepers at the Inokashira Park Zoo in Tokyo treated the animals with anti-parasitic medicine on 4 December as portion of a sanitary precaution, though also spraying insecticide around their nest containers.
1 of the bushy-tailed rodents – a widespread Japanese squirrel – died soon later on and in excess of subsequent times a lot more and a lot more perished, with 31 fatalities recorded by Monday morning.
“The possibility of drug-induced poisoning are not able to be denied,” the zoo admitted in a assertion on Monday.
“We’re at present investigating the cause of their deaths and observing the conditions of surviving folks,” they stated, incorporating that a pathological assessment of the corpses was below way.
“We offer you our deepest apologies”, the assertion stated.
The zoo insisted the medicines in question ended up used in proper doses and experienced been administered right before.
The facility has been cleaned and vetted for safety, the zoo explained, and the surviving squirrels ended up again on display screen.
Japan is property to 3 sorts of the tree-dwelling creatures: the Japanese squirrel, the Japanese traveling squirrel and the Japanese huge flying squirrel.