A gorilla at a Canadian zoo died after a worker accidentally opened the wrong door

Human error led to the death of a gorilla in Alberta, Canada, according to Calgary Zoo officials.

Eyare, a 2-year-old gorilla, died last week after being hit on the head by a hydraulic door that a worker accidentally opened, the zoo said in a statement on Wednesday. The worker was trying to separate Eyare from other members of the gorilla group so that he could be trained on his own.

The gorilla died from severe head injuries, according to the statement.

“This tragedy has hit all of us in the most profound way imaginable,” said Colleen Baird, director of animal care at the Calgary Zoo, at a press conference. “Eyare's short but impactful life brought great joy to our community, and he will be deeply missed by all. We will do everything possible to avoid future incidents.”

The affected employee was immediately removed from the work area and will be sent to another area of ​​the zoo, Baird said.

The zoo said it will implement preventive measures – including training of special staff and animal behavior training – to avoid another incident like this in the future.

This is not the first time that an animal has died of other than natural causes at the zoo. In 2016, an otter drowned after tripping over an “unauthorized” pair of pants that a zookeeper dropped in its enclosure. A penguin died in a “freak accident” when it swallowed a stick in 2013. And in 2009, the capybara was also smashed with a hydraulic door.

Animal Justice, a Canadian non-profit organization that advocates for the humane treatment of animals, has called for an independent investigation into animal safety and oversight at the Alberta facility.

“Calgary Zoo seems to have a high mortality rate compared to other zoos, and because of Eyare's death there should be a systematic review of the zoo's operations and procedures, clearly done by the government or some other outside party,” said Camille. Labchuk, executive director of the non-profit organization. CNN has reached out for additional comment.

The Calgary Zoo has denied that it has a higher number of animal deaths compared to other zoos, noting that they adhere to operational standards and have been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' independent Accreditation Commission since 1978.

“We love and care for the more than 4,000 animals representing more than 100 species that call our zoo home,” a Calgary Zoo spokesperson said in a statement sent to CNN. “Animal deaths caused by human error are incredibly rare. In the past 10 years, we have experienced two such losses—the North American river otter in 2016 and the 'Eyare' last week. Although rare, even deaths caused by one person are too many. These tragic events have been used as important learning opportunities, prompting us to review and strengthen policies to maintain a high standard of care.”

The use of hydraulic doors is “standard practice at accredited zoos,” Baird said at a news conference, but the center will explore switching to other doors to improve safety.

The Calgary Zoo, which launched the conservation organization Wilder Institute in 2021, cares for more than 4,000 animals, including 6 other western gorillas.

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