In brief
Eyare, a young gorilla at Calgary Zoo, suffered fatal injuries when a staff member mistakenly activated a hydraulic door while trying to separate her for vaccination training. The zoo is conducting further training for the involved staff member, who has been deeply affected by the incident.
A tragic incident unfolded at the Calgary Zoo in Alberta, Canada, resulting in the death of a 2-year-old western lowland gorilla named Eyare. The young gorilla succumbed to traumatic injuries on November 12 after a hydraulic door, mistakenly activated by a staff member, struck her. Eyare was part of a routine interaction with other gorillas in her enclosure when the unfortunate event occurred.According to Colleen Baird, the zoo's director of animal care, the staff member was attempting to operate a different door but accidentally used the control for the door that Eyare was passing through. The incident occurred while Eyare was being separated for a vaccination training session, and despite swift lifesaving efforts by zoo staff, Eyare was pronounced dead shortly after 9:30 a.m.The zoo's management expressed their deep condolences regarding the incident, noting that the staff member involved was not new and was experienced in handling gorillas. Following the accident, the staff member was removed from their duties and will receive additional training prior to returning to work. The facility currently houses six other western lowland gorillas, and the incident has prompted an internal review of safety protocols to prevent such tragedies in the future.
