July 18th, 2013 3:37pm

Northern Helmeted Curassow.

Our Curassow had a narrow escape. A few weeks ago one of our animal custodians noticed that the Curassow was not moving as usual. He seemed to have mobility problems and lost his balance frequently. Following a battery of tests, the Biodôme veterinary team discovered a metal object in the digestive system of the bird; evidently, it should not be there. The bird was suffering from zinc poisoning due to the foreign body. It took an intervention with specialists from the veterinary hospital of St-Hyacinthe to remove what was confirmed to be a penny. This coin was probably swallowed out of curiosity and was slowly dissolved by the digestive enzymes of the Curassow thus releasing a dose of zinc sufficient to cause neurological problems in birds. Fortunately we were able to react in time and following treatment to neutralize the effect of the metal coin, the Curassow could regain his health.

He is now back in the tropical ecosystem.