EDMONTON - Almost the entire population of guinea pigs at Edmonton's Valley Zoo has been wiped out after it appears someone deliberately put poisoned oranges in the animals' cage.
Sixty-four guinea pigs died overnight Tuesday and another one died on Wednesday morning, zoo staff said. Only seven survived.
"We are shocked and saddened by these deaths," said Dean Treichel, the zoo's operations supervisor.
The small animals were once a big hit with families and school groups as they scurried about inside their waist-high pen, Treichel said.
Zoo staff say the animals were fine when last checked on Tuesday evening. Their furry carcasses were discovered at about 8 a.m. the next morning alongside the oranges, which were not present the night before.
Police have been called in to investigate and the zoo said it is reviewing its security procedures. Staff are working with experts to determine the exact cause of death.
The Valley Zoo is a small facility when compared with zoos in places such as Toronto and Calgary, although it does have larger animals such as zebras, camels and tigers.
It has been in the news lately over the fate of its lone elephant, Lucy.
Animals rights groups, backed by former game show host Bob Barker, have launched a court fight to have Lucy moved to a sanctuary with other elephants, but the zoo says the aging animal wouldn't survive the move.
Zoo staff say this is the first time they have had to deal with a poisoning.
