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Despite immediate CPR and other medical interventions by the veterinary team, Eyare succumbed to her injuries shortly after 9:30 am.
The gorilla suffered a fatal accident at Canada’s Calgary Zoo. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
A 2-year-old western lowland gorilla suffered a fatal accident at Canada’s Calgary Zoo. The ape named Eyare died after being hit by a hydraulic door. The incident took place on November 12, after a staff member accidentally activated the wrong door in an attempt to separate Eyare from other gorillas during a training session. As a result, Eyare suffered head injuries. Even though a veterinary team tried to save the young female gorilla through CPR and other related efforts, the primate eventually passed away.
As per the press release from the zoo published on November 30, Eyare was playing with her troop in an area meant for feeding and observation, when the mishap happened. One of the employees of the gorilla care wanted to open a door to separate Eyare for vaccination training but accidentally activated the wrong door in the process. On reaching for another slab, the door shut behind Eyare resulting in head injuries. Despite immediate CPR and other medical interventions by the veterinary team, Eyare succumbed to her injuries shortly after 9:30 am.
Colleen Baird, the zoo director of animal care, described the event as a “terrible tragedy” adding that the staff member involved with the gorillas was an experienced employee. After the event, the staff was relieved from the tasks involving the animals and will have to attend more training courses before working again.
“The gorilla team retrieved Eyare from the troop, and the veterinary team immediately commenced lifesaving measures, including CPR. Sadly, Eyare succumbed to her injuries,” Baird said. “Only a week has passed. We are still grieving the loss of this young gorilla. We are also committed to healing and learning through this experience,” she added.
The zoo stated that it would ensure some preventative measures to prevent such occurrences adding that the establishment would be conducting annual training sessions for the gorilla care team to operate the hydraulic doors.
Baird also said that the members of the zoo’s building operations team affirmed that all the hydraulic doors in the enclosure of gorillas were working properly. The zoo mentioned in its press release that the usage of these doors was standard for any accredited zoo out there.
The Calgary Zoo has been in a similar situation before, and this year alone, a polar bear reportedly died due to a “crushing injury” at the windpipe during a playful fight with another bear.
In 2016, an otter was entangled in an “unauthorised” pair of pants a zookeeper accidentally left in the animal’s habitat, according to CNN. Furthermore, the Canadian local news station CBC reported that, in 2009, a capybara inside the Calgary Zoo was squashed by another hydraulic door.
