First, it was April, a tiny black Goeldi’s monkey who was stolen from the Cherry Brook Zoo in New Brunswick around April 23rd. Fortunately, whoever stole her called in an anonymous tip to the police telling them where she could be found.

Next, it was Mia, a spider monkey at the Vancouver Zoo who was stolen during a break-in on May 7th which saw her mate, Jocko, killed. Unlike April, Mia hasn’t been returned.

This week it’s cownose stingrays in the Calgary Zoo. These little fish, about a foot or so across, started dying suddenly May 11th. As of Wednesday afternoon, 39 40 out of 43 had died. Though they haven’t been able to confirm it yet, it looks like they were poisoned. Hopefully, the remaining four three will survive, but the odds aren’t in their favour.

I suppose I can understand someone stealing the monkeys because they probably have a black market value, so I guess they think they can make some money. But why the stingrays? There’s no profit to be made in killing them and it’s not like they were hurting anyone, nor is it likely they were suffering (before someone poisoned them anyway).

Is there a bunch of animal rights activists out there who are targeting Canadian zoos for reasons that escape explanation? If there is, how exactly is this furthering their cause?

Or is there a bunch of sadistic bastards who get their jollies by doing things like this? Or more likely several bunches of unimaginative sadistic bastards who get their jollies by imitating sadistic bastards who get their jollies by doing things like this?

Of course, it could equally be something inadvertantly introduced into their tank on someone’s hands because they were in some sort of interactive display where people could touch them, but I fear that’s unlikely though it’s what I’m hoping for.

I shudder to think what next week will bring for Canadian zoos.