“He still had a lot of life to live,” the zoo, a private, family-owned facility in the eastern part of the state, said on social media of the big-eared, curly horned antelope described as calm and friendly. Sitatunga antelopes are native to Africa and can live up to 22 years, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo.
“We lost a beloved animal due to choking,” the zoo wrote in a Facebook post Saturday. “Some ask why we don’t allow squeezable pouches into the zoo. The reason is simple — the packaging is dangerous to our animals. If you look at these lids from an animal perspective it looks like food.”
The zoo said it regularly conducts bag searches “yet some people find ways to sneak these in,” adding that guests “are able to go to their car or the picnic areas in our parking lot as many times as they wish and re-enter the zoo.”
Caps from the pouches, commonly used for children’s food, can also present a choking hazard to young children, experts warn.
Zoo director David Bright told The Post Thursday that Lief was a “very curious animal that enjoyed being up close to his keepers. He had no fear of humans.”
He said that it appeared that a zoo guest had “snuck in the pouch” despite bag searches and likely “threw the lid into the exhibit.”
“Animals in zoos have very specific diets and those diets should never be altered without vet staff making that call,” Bright cautioned. “Certain items should never enter any zoo.”
Born in July 2016, Lief had thick spiraled horns and white splotches underneath his eyes and unlike many others of his species, appeared less timid, Bright told CBS News. He said Lief had been “acting odd,” before fluid started leaking from his mouth, and the veterinarian team rushed to dislodge the plastic cap. But it was too late.
Zoo worker Connie Bright wrote online that the death of Lief had been “devastating,” and underscored the need for bag searches, despite the perceived hassle.
“The three keepers who tried in vain to save this animal felt helpless and devastated as the animal they loved and have hand fed for years lay dying,” she wrote. “Many hearts are sad and broken today.”
“This makes me so angry,” wrote one person online in response to Lief’s death. “Truly heartbreaking for this poor animal and it’s keepers,” said another. “Shameful behavior in so many ways,” wrote another person, calling it a “senseless loss.”
Sitatunga antelopes are accomplished swimmers, often spending a lot of time in water. Adults can weigh between 110 and 275 pounds.
Brights Zoo said the animals are distinguished by their long, splayed hoofs, which make the Sitatunga “clumsy and vulnerable on firm terrain but well adapted for walking through muddy, vegetated swamplands.”
They have a waterproof coat that is dark brown in males like Lief and reddish brown in females. Both can have white stripes and spots.
Brights Zoo was founded in 2007 and houses several rare and endangered species including oryx and Bactrian camels as well as red kangaroos, spider monkeys, pandas and zebras.
“We would love to know the people responsible but sadly don’t think we ever will,” the zoo said.
