A critically endangered 2-year-old baby lowland gorilla died at the Calgary Zoo in Alberta in an accident caused by human error, the zoo confirmed Wednesday.
The young female, named Eyare, was walking from room to room and interacting with other gorillas at the back of the house where she was staying, according to a press release released by the Calgary Zoo.
A member of his care team reportedly wanted to activate a hydraulic door to separate the young gorilla from the other primates in order to begin an individual training session.
However, the employee may have mistakenly activated the wrong door.
Eyare was then allegedly trapped in the door and suffered serious head injuries.
“The gorilla team recovered Eyare and the veterinary team immediately began maneuvers, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Unfortunately, Eyare succumbed to his injuries,” Colleen Baird, director of Animal Care, Health and Welfare, said in the release.
The employee who caused the fatal accident was immediately removed from the workplace following the incident, according to the zoo.
This person will be transferred to another area of the zoo and will undergo training for this new area before working with animals again.
“This tragedy has deeply affected us all. Eyare’s short but impactful life brought so much joy to our community and we will all miss her. We will do everything we can to prevent future accidents,” said Mr.me Baird.
This is the second animal at the Calgary Zoo to die due to human error: an otter also died in 2016.
Canada
