Human error caused gorilla death at Calgary Zoo: officials

The death of a two-year-old gorilla at the Calgary Zoo on Nov. 12 was caused by human error, according to zoo officials.

The cause of death of the young western lowland gorilla, named Eyare, was made public on Wednesday morning.

“Eyare was moving around in the back of house, roaming from bedroom to bedroom (and) interacting with the other gorillas,” zoo officials said in a statement.

“A member of her care team intended to activate a door to separate Eyare from other members of the troop for an individual animal training session but mistakenly activated the wrong door, resulting in Eyare being struck by the door and sustaining traumatic head injuries.”

The zoo said the gorilla team retrieved Eyare from the troop and the veterinary team “immediately commenced lifesaving measures, including CPR.”

“Sadly, Eyare succumbed to her injuries.”

Colleen Baird, the zoo’s director of animal care, health and welfare, says the staffer involved has been reassigned to another area of the zoo.

Asked how the gorilla’s are doing, Baird said they continue to mourn Eyare’s death.

“The first few days after the incident, the gorillas were very quiet,” said Baird. “At times, the mother Dossi would spend time by herself.  Since the days have progressed, we have seen the gorillas spend more time with her.”

“Dossi has made some vocalizations, which is common to when we see a passing in the gorilla troop,” Baird said.  “They are being monitored and cared for there. They are supporting each other and we are supporting the team. And the team is supporting them.”

The release of the investigation’s findings drew an immediate response from animal rights activsts.

The executive director of Animal Justice said she is “horrified” to learn how the young gorilla died.

Camille Labchuk, said she is “mystified that the information wasn’t made public last week,” because it “would have been obvious immediately to the zoo what had happened.”

She said she believes the zoo appears to be more interested in managing public relations than providing transparency.

“I believe that the Calgary Zoo staff has the best interests of these animals in mind,” Labchuk said.  “But there are major questions about the ability of any facility, no matter how well-intentioned, to simply provide for the needs of these complex, majestic animals in unnatural environments.”

She is calling for an investigation by the Alberta SPCA and wants “the province to launch a more fulsome investigation into the very long history of unfortunate human error-caused animal deaths at the Calgary Zoo.”

As an example, Labchuk pointed to the death of a capybara at the zoo in 2009 that also suffered fatal injuries when it was crushed by a hydraulic door.

Baird said she could not say if there were any similarities between the two deaths.

“That was before my time here at the zoo.  I cannot say.  I do not know,” added Baird.

However, Baird said the gorilla care team will participate in specialized and recurrent training annually to demonstrate continued proficiency in operating the hydraulic doors designated for animal use, and the zoo is also looking into possible modifications to the hydraulic doors “if warranted.”

But she added that “hydraulic doors are common in institutions working with great apes and other animals. The doors are operated at a very controlled, slow pace. We use them daily.”

Baird described Eyare’s death as “a tragic accident.”