Two dolphins at a Switzerland zoo died after they reportedly ingested a synthetic opiate during a weekend rave at the park. But the zoo owners claim they were killed by animal activists trying to make the facility look bad. From AOL Travel:
It was originally believed that the techno music pumping out from the club just yards from the dolphins’ pool had caused their deaths.
But toxicology tests carried out by the forensics institute in St Gallen show that the heroin substitute Buprenorphin was present in the dolphins’ urine.
Outraged animal activists have said they warned Connyland and local planners who gave the rave a green light of the dangers to the animals before the event.
Connyland (the zoo) has consistently denied any wrong-doing.
“Two zoo dolphins die in ‘heroin’ overdose after weekend rave”
From Huffington Post UK:
“Even though some animal activists did state that it would harm animals… out state veterinarian and all kinds of media were in our dolphinarium during the night we hosted the disco party, (said zoo owner and general manager Roberto Gasser). Nothing was heard or disturbed the animals.”
It is still unclear how the dolphins came to ingest the buprenorphin found in the post-mortem toxicology report but Gasser claims that as the dolphins are only ever given medication with their food, it must have been given to the dolphins that way.
He claims that signs of forced entry at the food preparation show that the dolphins’ deaths were an “attack” and “a planned strike against us.