ZOO RESPONDS TO IDA’S CALL FOR CHANGES AFTER BABY GORILLA DEATH

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.idausa.org/zoo-responds-idas-call-changes-baby-gorilla-death/

By Eric Phelps

On November 7, a baby gorilla named Kabibe was crushed to death at the San Francisco Zoo by an inherently dangerous 30-year-old door unequipped with the most basic of safety features.

Five zookeepers at the San Franscisco Zoo say safety concerns about the doors were ignored before Kabibe’s death. Indeed, this was not the first incident with dangerous doors at this or other zoos or aquariums. In May 2010, Kabibe’s brother, Hasani, had his hand caught in the same door that killed Kabibe at the San Francisco Zoo. At the Calgary Zoo in Canada, a spider monkey and capybara were crushed to death in similar door accidents in recent years. Just a month ago, a similar pneumatic door trapped a pregnant orca at SeaWorld San Diego. [http://on.fb.me/1tVM3lc] In 1995, Kotar, a killer whale at SeaWorld San Antonio had his skull crushed and was killed by a door.

Clearly there’s a problem. So IDA immediately called on the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to mandate to all of its accredited facilities (both zoos and aquariums) that a minimum of two zookeepers stand watch over the doors while animals are bring moved through them. We also asked that basic safety equipment, like those found in common elevator or garage doors, be installed on all doors at AZA facilities.

We haven’t received a response from the AZA, but we are thrilled that the San Francisco Zoo is moving forward with the very ideas we suggested. It is our sincere hope that the AZA will mandate this same type of response at all of its facilities.

FULL story at link.