Philadelphia Zoo's Meerkat Tragedy: Poisoning Suspected.
The Philadelphia Zoo is investigating the deaths of its five meerkats, which occurred within two weeks. The zoo suspects that the agricultural dye Nyanzol-D, used to differentiate some of the animals, may have caused a toxic reaction. The dye had been used on the meerkats before, and the zoo has now stopped using it. The zoo is working with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the US Department of Agriculture to determine the official cause of the animals' deaths, which could take weeks or months.
