Canada's Wonderland responds to viral video of fish flopping in shallow mud
Footage of koi fish appearing to struggle in shallow, muddy water at Canada's Wonderland has sparked a fierce online debate about animal welfare, but the park is adamant that the viral footage doesn't paint a complete picture of the situation.
A video circulating online this week shows koi fish swimming in water barely deep enough to submerge, sparking concerns from commenters that the fish were in distress due to low water levels at the Vaughan amusement park.
The clip, captioned "Koi Fishs [sic] fighting for their life at Canada's Wonderland," has been met with a torrent of comments, ranging from concern over the fish to those stressing that this is normal foraging behaviour for this species.
Canada's Wonderland spokesperson Grace Peacock tells blogTO that while the park appreciates guests' concerns, there is no danger posed by the water level seen in the video.
"We understand the concerns raised by the video and appreciate the public's interest in animal welfare," says Peacock. "While the footage shows a koi fish in a shallow section of a creek on our property, the creek is part of a connected aquatic system that includes a large, deep pond where the fish primarily reside," she explains.
Peacock stressed to blogTO that "Koi regularly travel into shallower areas to feed and explore, particularly in waterways with natural sediment and organic matter."
"Water levels in the creek fluctuate throughout the year due to seasonal conditions and are not static. Based on our understanding of the location and the behaviour shown in the video, the fish was most likely in the area voluntarily as part of its normal foraging activity."
Many in the video's comment section took similar stances, like one who summed it all up by joking, "Tell me you don't know carp without saying it."
It's not the first time these koi fish have generated online buzz at Canada's Wonderland. Just last season, the park was home to a viral fish-chasing raccoon who was seen on video terrorizing the koi fish.
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