Approximately 15 to 20 koi fish were killed during maintenance at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens’ Terrace Gardens fish pool.
The Gardens’ staff recently had to add fresh water to the pool, according to a release. Although the staff uses conditioner to neutralize chloramines in the water to keep a healthy balance for the fish, they “did not achieve the correct balance on this occasion, and some fish perished.”
There are still about 50 koi living in the pond, down from about 65 or 70 preceding the incident, per the release.
“While we routinely lose koi to great blue herons living in the Gardens, this was a sudden and larger loss,” the release read. “We know that visitors cherish these koi as much as we do, and we are especially sorry for visitors who may have seen the dead fish before our staff removed them.”
Keith Upchurch, Trinity ‘72, known for bringing his golden retriever Gold to campus, wrote in an email to The Chronicle that he saw lots of fish, mostly belly up, during his walk to the Gardens on Sunday. He wrote that a few also looked like they were in the process of dying.
The release stated that Gardens staff will monitor the kois’ health and refine procedures to avoid harming the fish in the future.
Though the maintenance work that led to the water imbalance was “a few days ago,” the impact on the fish was “gradual,” according to Orla Swift, director of marketing and communications at the Gardens.
The smaller number is actually more optimal for the fishes' health in a pond of its “small size,” but the population will grow again naturally as the younger fish mature and reproduce, per the release.
The release also noted that the Gardens is unable to accept donations of koi.
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Katie Tan is a Trinity senior and digital strategy director of The Chronicle's 119th volume. She was previously managing editor for Volume 118.