Due to the unexplained deaths of 39 stingrays at a Calgary Zoo, a Toronto Zoo stingray exhibit is going ahead with one major change: the public will no longer be able to touch the sea creatures.

The exhibit, which opened to the public Friday, May 16 was being billed as Stingray Bay - A Touching Experience with visitors granted the opportunity to interact with rays in a large pool for an admission fee of $3. For the time being , visitors will not be able to touch or feed them and admission has been reduced to $1.

"In light of recent events at the Calgary Zoo's Singray Exhibit, the Toronto Zoo will, in the short-term, limit access to the stingrays and only provide controlled feedings," the zoo said in a press release.

The Stingray Bay exhibit is the first of its kind in Ontario. It features 30 cownose and southern singrays in an exhibit provided by Living Exhibits Inc., which is based in San Diego, California.

Living Exhibits currently has exhibits at zoos in Chicago, Cleveland, Milwaukee and Phoenix. The Calgary exhibit was being managed internally.

Toronto's rays are housed in a 60,500 litre saltwater pool complete with waterfall. The stingray barbs were clipped before their introduction to the pool, similar to fingernails they grow back slowly over several months and will likely not require any further trimming while the exhibit is open.

The police have been brought in to help the Calgary Zoo find out what caused the mysterious deaths of all but four of the stingrays in the exhibit. The deaths began late Sunday, May 11 when 26 of the 43 rays died, with the other deaths following over the next few days.

"Until more is known as to the cause of death of the Calgary stingrays, the Toronto Zoo is taking all precautions," it said in the release.

The Calgary stingray pool was introduced in February.