Zoo officials say a gorilla at the Calgary Zoo has died after an employee mistakenly activated the wrong door

CNN
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Human error led to the death of a young gorilla in Alberta, Canada, according to officials at the Calgary Zoo.

Eyeare, a 2-year-old lowland gorilla, died last week after being struck in the head by a hydraulic door that was accidentally activated by a zoo employee, the zoo said in its report. statement Wednesday. The employee tried to separate Eyere from other members of the gorilla troop for an individual training session.

The statement said the gorilla died from head injuries.

“This tragedy has affected all of us in the most profound way imaginable,” said Colleen Baird, director of animal care at the Calgary Zoo. press conference. “Eyare’s short but eventful life brought so much joy to our community and she will be greatly missed by all. We will do everything in our power to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.”

Baird said the employee involved was immediately removed from work and transferred to another area of ​​the zoo.

The zoo said it will implement preventive measures – including specialized staff training and animal behavioral training – to avoid another such incident in the future.

This is not the first case of an animal dying in a zoo due to causes other than natural ones. In 2016, an otter drowned after becoming entangled in an “unauthorized” pair of pants, a zookeeper threw him into the enclosure. Penguin died in a ‘freak accident’ when she swallowed a stick in 2013. In 2009, by accident, also a capybara crushed through hydraulic doors.

Animal Justice Legislative Fund, a Canadian non-profit organization advocating for the humane treatment of animals, called for an independent investigation into animal safety and supervision at the facility in Alberta.

“The Calgary Zoo appears to have a higher animal mortality rate than other zoos, and in light of Eyare’s death, there should be a systematic review of the zoo’s operations and practices, conducted in a transparent manner by the government or another outside party,” she said Camille Labchuk, executive director of the nonprofit organization.

CNN has reached out to the Calgary Zoo for comment on the fund’s statement.

The use of hydraulic doors is “common practice in accredited zoos,” Baird said at a news conference, but the facility will consider switching to alternative doors to improve safety.

The Calgary Zoo, which established the conservation organization Wilder Institute in 2021, cares for more than 4,000 animals, including six other western lowland gorillas.