A rare antelope died after choking on a plastic squeezable bag lid at Tennessee's Bright Zoo over the weekend.
Leif, a Sitatunga antelope, was in his enclosure on Saturday when a zookeeper was doing a routine check and noticed the animal was “acting strange,” zoo director David Bright told CBS News. Fluid was leaking from the antelope's mouth and the keeper immediately called the veterinary team to remove the plastic plug.
Courtesy Bright Zoo
But, “The team couldn't do it in time,” Bright said.
Bright said the privately owned zoo, which specializes in exotic animals, conducts bag checks for visitors, as the zoo does not allow squeezable bags, among other items.
“The reason is simple: packaging is dangerous for our animals,” the zoo said on its social media page. “If you look at these tops from an animal perspective, they look like food. That's what led us to look for the bags, but some people find ways to sneak them in. Guests can go to their car or to the picnic areas of the our parking lot as many times as they want and re-enter the zoo.”
Courtesy Bright Zoo
Bright said that since news of Leif's death became public, people have been mostly supportive, but no one has come forward with information about how the lid landed on the compound.
“I would respect the person more if they came forward and took responsibility,” Bright said, adding that not knowing exactly what happened or who did it makes it worse.
Bright said the cap “had to be thrown away” as there was no other way it could have landed inside the enclosure housing Leif, his partner and several other animals.
The young antelope was known for its calm demeanor, and zoo keepers used to joke that it “liked to be in the pocket,” Bright said. He followed the guards around during mealtimes and often let them touch him. This was very different from other wildlife, Bright said, which tended to be skittish and shy.
Since Leif's death, his companion has been wandering around looking for him, puzzled by his absence, Bright said. The antelope was 7 years old and would have turned 8 on July 30, Bright said. The antelope may have lived to be 20 or 21 years old, and Bright said it still had “a lot of life in it.”
In addition to the Sitatunga antelope, a swamp-dwelling animal distinguished by its long open hooves, the zoo is home to an addax, bongo and scimitar oryx.
