Gorilla died in the Canadian zoo after an employee's door error

Gorilla died in the Canadian zoo after an employee's door error

According to those responsible in the Calgary Zoo, Alberta, Canada, occurred due to human failure to the death of a young gorilla. Eyare, a two -year -old western lowland gorilla, died last week after he was accidentally hit the head by a hydraulic door that an employee had activated. The incident occurred, while the employee tried to separate Eyare from other members of the Gorilla Group for a single training session.

cause of death

According to a statement by the zoo, the Gorilla succumbed to traumatic head injuries. "This tragedy hit us all in a profound way," said Colleen Baird, director of animal welfare in the Calgary Zoo, during a press conference. "Eyare’s short but formative life brought our community so much joy, and it is deeply missed by everyone. We will do everything we can to prevent future incidents."

reactions and measures

The employee involved was immediately removed from the workplace and is used in another area of ​​the zoo, Baird explained. The zoo announced that preventive measures, including special training for staff and training courses on the behavior of animals to avoid similar incidents in the future

earlier incidents in the Calgary Zoo

It is not the first time that an animal in the zoo dies something other than natural causes. In 2016, an Otter drowned after he got caught in a "unauthorized" trousers that a zookeeper dropped into his enclosure. A penguin died in 2013 at a "Freak Accident" when she swallowed a stick, and in 2009 a Capybara was also accidentally crushed from a hydraulic door.

request for independent examination

The Animal Justice Legislative Fund, a Canadian nonprofit organization that campaigns for the respectful handling of animals, called for an independent examination of animal safety and monitoring in the facility in Alberta. "The Calgary Zoo seems to have a higher rate of animal death compared to other zoos, and in the light of Eyare’s death, a systematic review of the operating processes and practices of the zoo, carried out transparently by the government or another external party," explained Camille Labchuk, the managing director of the nonprofit organization.

future security measures

CNN has tried to comment on the statement of the fund at the Calgary Zoo. In the press conference, Baird emphasized that the use of hydraulic doors is "usual practice in accredited zoos", but the facility would check whether alternative door systems can be transferred to improve safety.

The Calgary Zoo, who launched the nature conservation organization of Wilder Institute in 2021, takes care of over 4,000 animals, including six other western lowland gorillas.