A baby gorilla was killed when it was struck in the head by a door “mistakenly” activated by a zookeeper in Canada.
Eyare, a 2-year-old female western lowland gorilla, died after the keeper opened the wrong hydraulic door in error, according to the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo.
The zookeeper “was immediately removed from the workplace following the incident”, the zoo said in a statement.
The accident left the young ape with “traumatic head injuries” prompting a veterinary team to immediately administer lifesaving treatment including CPR.
But despite the attempts Eyare succumbed to her injuries, said director of Animal Care, Health, and Welfare, Colleen Baird.
Moments before her tragic death, the small animal had been happily moving around her habitat, moving from bedroom to bedroom while interacting with the other apes, the statement said.
The keeper had intended to activate a separator door to segregate Eyare from her troop for a training session but the wrong door fell and the small creature was hit.
Her death forced the zoo to launch an investigation and share the actions needed to mitigate the incident from happening again in the future.
A list of measures including a review of existing training, specialized hydraulic door training, enhanced safeguarding, and animal behavior training were all cited as areas that needed to be reevaluated, said the zoo.
The statement said: “While the investigation into the cause of death has concluded, the zoo doesn’t take these findings lightly and is continuing to conduct a thorough review to identify any potential opportunities to enhance staff training, improve animal care processes, and reinforce safeguards moving forward.”
Baird added: “This tragedy has struck us all in the deepest way imaginable.
“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 zookeeper responsible will be required to undergo additional training in another area of the zoo before returning to work with animals, the statement read.
