DALLAS — Long after the Dallas Zoo closed at 4 p.m. on Jan. 29, Davion Irvin waited for the right moment.
Once it was dark, he told investigators he hopped a fence and headed to the bearded emperor tamarin monkey exhibit, court records show. Then, he got to work.
Irvin, 24, slashed the metal mesh of the monkey exhibit, walked through the door, cut the cage and took the two tamarin monkeys, Bella and Finn, an arrest warrant affidavit said.
After nabbing the monkeys, an affidavit said Irvin took them for a ride on the DART rail and stashed them at a vacant community home in Lancaster, 20 minutes from the zoo.
Days after the monkeys were safely returned and Irvin was arrested, he told investigators he would return to the Dallas Zoo and take more animals, the affidavit said.
Irvin’s statement to investigators has pushed officials at the Dallas Zoo to strengthen animal closures and exhibits. Those alarm bells have spread to zoos around the country, which are assessing their own practices on how best to protect their animals.
Authorities and Dallas Zoo officials are still piecing together how Irvin, who has never been an employee or volunteer at the zoo, was able to allegedly gain access to several animal exhibits as a visitor.
Investigators also have connected Irvin to the escape of a clouded leopard named Nova and another cut in a langur monkey exhibit. Irvin faces six charges of animal cruelty and two charges of burglary.
Police are also still investigating the January death of Pin, a lappet-faced vulture, and have not connected anyone to that incident.
“We’re determined to make sure we do everything we can to not let this happen again,” said Dallas Zoo President and CEO Gregg Hudson at a Friday news conference.
Hudson told The Dallas Morning News that the zoo is consulting with security experts to develop new strategies to secure the 106-acre facility. In an email, he said the zoo has already more than doubled security patrols, increased overnight staffing and added more cameras and additional fencing.
Dallas police have also loaned the zoo several camera towers to expand its surveillance coverage, zoo spokesperson Kari Streiber said.
As the zoo develops a new strategy, it needs to undertake a security assessment to identify ways to better protect the animals, said Gary Sigrist, an Ohio-based security expert and former law enforcement officer.
“If you have a lot of people cutting fences, why are they able to cut those fences or are those fences in an area where there’s not a lot of visibility because there’s not a lot of foot traffic?’’ he said. “The way to cover a blind spot is to use technology as a force multiplier.”
One way to beef up security is to have more surveillance, Sigrist said. But that can be costly and make it harder for zoos to invest in the sort of infrastructure and technology that can deter foul play.
Internally, the Dallas Zoo also requires staff, security personnel and volunteers to undergo background checks. The Fort Worth Zoo also requires employees and volunteers to pass a background check, spokesperson Avery Elander said via email.
Stronger security
Neighboring zoos in Texas and around the country are also increasing their security after the string of incidents in Dallas.
At Fort Worth, the zoo has increased patrols both during the day and throughout the night as well as checking perimeter fencing and areas not open to the public, Elander said. She added that the zoo has always had 24/7 security onsite and cameras on its grounds.
At the San Antonio Zoo, CEO and President Tim Morrow said officials are watching the recent animal thefts and escapes in Dallas.
“We’re saying, ‘OK, where are our weak points where someone might have an opportunity to do something like this? How can we improve that?” Morrow said.
Balancing act
Some wildlife and security experts fear surveillance could detract from the experience for visitors.
“Our big challenge to zoos now is trying to connect people to the wildlife, not just to the animal but to the environment,” said Ron Magill, a wildlife expert at Zoo Miami in Florida. “And it’s very hard to do so if you’re going to have to build a bunch of fences and cages and bars.”
Zoos have a unique combination of attractions that add to the immersive experience but also can potentially make surveillance a challenge, including wooded areas, tall trees, winding trails and shaded areas.
They have to perform a balancing act that includes maintaining the experience between visitors and animals while also ensuring safety, Sigrist said.
“If we cut down all the trees, would we be able to see more if somebody did something wrong? Yeah, but do you want to go to that zoo or do you want to go to a zoo that looks natural?”' said Sigrist, who performs vulnerability assessments for large facilities, such as zoos and schools.
In Miami, Magill said he and his staff have had to make similar compromises. When vandals broke into the zoo’s amphitheater nearly two decades ago, Miami installed cameras and made sure to place them in subtle locations that don’t create an obstruction, he said.
Too much technology takes away the beauty of an unobstructed view, Magill said.
