(GoRealNewsNow.com) – In a shocking incident at the Calgary Zoo in Canada, a young gorilla named Eyare was tragically killed by a hydraulic door, raising serious questions about animal safety and zoo management.
See the tweet below.
The two-year-old western lowland gorilla died when a staff member mistakenly activated the wrong hydraulic door during a routine training session.
Despite immediate efforts to save her life, including CPR, Eyare succumbed to her injuries, leaving the zoo community devastated and the public demanding answers.
The zoo’s director of animal care, Colleen Baird, attempted to explain the tragic incident, stating:
“A team member intended to activate a door that they were looking at, but accidentally used the control lever for a different door. And as that door was closing, Eyare was passing through, and she was struck by it.”
Shockingly, this is not the first time an animal has died due to a hydraulic door incident at the Calgary Zoo.
Previous casualties include a capybara and a spider monkey, raising alarming questions about the zoo’s commitment to animal welfare and safety protocols.
“It’s not like there’s a complete data set out there, but I would say the Calgary Zoo seems to have an unusually high death rate,” Camille Labchuk, the executive director of Animal Justice, said.
“The Calgary Zoo appears to have a higher rate of animal deaths compared to other zoos, and in light of Eyare’s death there should be a systematic review of the zoo’s operations and practices, conducted transparently by the government or another outside party,” Labchuk continued.
Moreover, the zoo’s troubling history of animal deaths is further highlighted by a 2010 review that found animal fatalities nearly doubled from 2000 to 2009.
While the zoo claims an average annual death rate of 3%, mostly due to age or disease, analysts argued that this figure is unacceptably high and demands immediate action.
In response to the mounting pressure, the Calgary Zoo has announced plans to assess and redesign door controls to prevent similar incidents.
They have also removed the staff member involved from the workplace, pending additional training. Yet, these measures are too little, too late.
Furthermore, Canadian nonprofit Animal Justice has called for an independent investigation into the zoo’s animal safety and oversight practices.
This demand echoed the sentiments of many who believe that the zoo’s internal reviews and promises of improvement are insufficient, given their track record.
The tragedy of Eyare’s death serves as a stark reminder of the risks inherent in keeping wild animals in captivity. It raises important questions about the ethics of zoos and the effectiveness of current safety measures.
Last week, we shared the heartbreaking loss of our beloved 2-year-old western lowland gorilla, ‘Eyare’. 💔 The results of our investigation determined that Eyare's death was a tragic accident due to human error. We do not take this news lightly. Read more: https://t.co/F5rQaTh5Ti pic.twitter.com/pioHUmO1DC
— Calgary Zoo (@calgaryzoo) November 20, 2024
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