09:54 AM Mountain Standard Time on Wednesday, May 11, 2005

By The Associated Press

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Zoo is in a dispute over who should have the final say on wildlife medical care and whether recent mistakes led to a series of deaths and health problems with animals.

Jeff Williamson, zoo president and chief executive officer, said experts from three of America's top exotic animal parks visited Phoenix recently to evaluate operations after questions were raised by members of an Animal Health Committee.

Their findings are to be reported next month.

Kris Nelson, a veterinarian whose complaints prompted the review, says dozens of exotic animals died or suffered in recent years due to neglect and misjudgments by managers and caretakers.

Nelson is backed by a former chief veterinarian and a former animal nutritionist at the zoo, both of whom were replaced recently amid a struggle over animal care and management.

The zoo houses an estimated 1,400 animals on a 125-acre compound in Papago Park.

Nelson compiled a list of more than 30 specimens that purportedly died or fell ill due to improper care and conditions, mostly in the past year.

Among her allegations are that baby monkeys died because of negligence, disease killed gazelles due to quarantine failures, and many animals suffered as a result of treatment delays.

Nelson, who has been on the Animal Health Committee for four years, said alarms should have gone off seven years ago when a series of blunders killed Ruby, an elephant famous for creating artworks.

Kathy Orr, a veterinarian employed at the zoo for 15 years, said professional disagreements about animal care are not uncommon but some of Nelson's examples are not valid and that others have been corrected already.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)