Human error led to the death of a young gorilla in Alberta, Canada, according to officials at the Calgary Zoo.
Eyare, a 2-year-old western lowland gorilla, died last week after being struck in the head by a hydraulic door a staff member accidentally activated, the zoo said in a statement Wednesday. The worker was trying to separate Eyare from other members of the gorilla troop for a solo training session.
The gorilla died of traumatic head injuries, according to the statement.
“This tragedy has struck us all in the deepest way imaginable,” Colleen Baird, Calgary Zoo’s director of animal care, said at a news conference. “Eyare’s short but impactful life brought so much joy to our community, and she will be deeply missed by all. We will do everything we can to prevent future incidents.”
The staff member involved was immediately removed from the workplace and will be reassigned to another area of the zoo, Baird said.
The zoo said it will implement preventive measures – including specialized staff training and animal behavioral training – to avoid another incident like this in the future.
It’s not the first time an animal has died of something other than natural causes at the zoo. In 2016, an otter drowned after becoming tangled in an “unauthorized” pair of pants a zookeeper dropped in its enclosure. A penguin died in “a freak accident” when she swallowed a stick in 2013. And in 2009, a capybara was also accidentally crushed by a hydraulic door.
Animal Justice, a Canadian nonprofit that advocates for the humane treatment of animals, called for an independent investigation into animal safety and oversight at the Alberta facility.
“The Calgary Zoo appears to have a higher rate of animal deaths compared to other zoos, and in light of Eyare’s death there should be a systematic review of the zoo’s operations and practices, conducted transparently by the government or another outside party,” said Camille Labchuk, the nonprofit’s executive director. CNN has reached out for further comment.
The Calgary Zoo rebutted the assertion they have a higher rate of animal deaths compared to other zoos, noting they adhere to operational standards and have upheld accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ independent Accreditation Commission since 1978.
“We love and care for more than 4,000 animals representing over 100 species that call our zoo home,” a spokesperson for the Calgary Zoo said in a statement to CNN. “Animal deaths caused by human error are extraordinarily rare. In the past 10 years, we have experienced two such losses—a North American river otter in 2016 and ‘Eyare’ last week. While uncommon, even one human-caused mortality is one too many. These tragic incidents have been used as critical learning opportunities, driving us to review and to strengthen protocols to uphold the highest standards of care.”
The use of hydraulic doors is “common practice with accredited zoos,” Baird said in the news conference, but the facility will explore transitioning to alternative doors to improve safety.
The Calgary Zoo, which launched the conservation organization the Wilder Institute in 2021, cares for over 4,000 animals, including 6 other western lowland gorillas.
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