The Toronto Zoo has announced the death of Bucky. The 17-year-old Sulawesi babirusa was one of the oldest babirusas in North America and held a special place in the hearts of the zoo family.
“His gentle nature, curious spirit, and unique charm brought joy to everyone who had the privilege of knowing him,” officials said in a statement. “Whether he was delighting guests with his quirky personality or forging bonds with his devoted caretakers, Bucky was truly one of a kind.”
According to officials, on Saturday, Bucky sustained a fatal injury after gaining access to a space occupied by a male greater one-horned rhinoceros. Despite the team’s swift response, they weren’t able to save the beloved pig-like animal.
“We have launched a full investigation to understand how this tragedy occurred, and early findings indicate that human error played a role. As we work to ensure something like this never happens again, our priority right now is continuing the investigation and supporting our team who are experiencing profound grief,” officials added.
A few other animal deaths have occurred at the Toronto Zoo in the past year. Charles — a 52-year-old western lowland silverback gorilla who’s been a revered member of the Toronto Zoo family since its opening day in 1974 — died from natural causes back in October. Matu, a two-year-old Masai giraffe, died in July while under general anesthesia during a castration procedure. In August, the Zoo tragically lost two red pandas — a six-week-old red panda cub died due to complications related to intussusception in its intestines, while Sakura, a geriatric female red panda, passed away in the middle of the night from cardiac arrest.
The Toronto Zoo has an animal welfare science program, and Zoo staff are continuously learning about the importance of individual animal experiences, physical health, behavioural health and the overall environment.
“The Toronto Zoo affirms that the welfare of our animals is afforded the utmost precedence throughout our institution and in all our operations. Animal welfare overrides all other criteria for keeping animals at the Zoo,” zoo officials noted.
Further details on Bucky’s death will be released as they become available, but the Zoo is asking for privacy for its animal care staff and volunteers as they navigate this loss.
