2-year-old gorilla Eyare died after hydraulic door mistakenly activated, Calgary Zoo confirms

Calgary Zoo officials confirmed on Wednesday that the recent death of a two-year-old gorilla was an accident resulting from human error.

Eyare, a female western lowland gorilla, died at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo last week. The zoo's investigation into the death included internal and external experts, and interviews with staff involved in the incident. 

The animal's death occurred last Tuesday around 9 a.m., when a gorilla care team member intended to activate a door that would separate Eyare from other animals for an individual training session, said Colleen Baird, zoo director of animal care, health and welfare. Eyare had been roaming around the back of house and interacting with other gorillas.

The worker mistakenly activated the wrong door, resulting in the gorilla being struck by the door and sustaining traumatic head injuries, Baird said.

The gorilla team retrieved Eyare and immediately attempted to use life-saving care, including CPR, but the gorilla died from her injuries shortly after 9:30 a.m.

"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," Baird told reporters Wednesday. 

The Calgary Zoo is home to six western lowland gorillas, among the more than 4,000 animals it cares for across more than 100 species. Eyare's death marks the second caused by humans at the zoo in the last decade, with the other being the death of a North American river otter in 2016. 

This is also the second unexpected death of an animal at the zoo in recent months, following the death of seven-year-old polar bear Baffin in July.

Eyare was born at the zoo on April 20, 2022, the first offspring of her mother Dossi and father Jasiri.

Zoo officials confirmed the doors were operating correctly at the time of Eyare's death. The zoo's gorilla care team will now participate in additional annual training that confirms their ability to use hydraulic doors that are designated for animal use. The zoo is also reassessing control lever locations and design, with an eye toward implementing any changes that could improve the staff's ability to confirm, visually and by touch, which animal door they're moving.

Gorillas will also receive training designed to encourage them to keep a safe distance from doors during movement times.

The animal care team member directly involved in the accident is mourning Eyare's death, Baird said. The staff member was immediately removed from work and is receiving support from the zoo, before they'll be reassigned to another area where they'll undergo further training.

"This tragedy has struck us in the deepest way imaginable. Eyare brought our community so much joy during her short life," Baird said.

Baird noted that while hydraulic doors are considered common practice in accredited facilities, the Calgary Zoo is exploring other options to potentially transition to alternative doors and control designs, if warranted to improve the facility's safety.

The Calgary Zoo is accredited under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Baird noted, which the facility will report to about its findings and corrective actions in response to Eyare's death.

Baird added the zoo will continue reviewing any opportunities to improve staff training, animal care processes and safeguards.

'Heartbreaking,' says international zoo association

In a statement, AZA president and CEO Dan Ashe said the Calgary Zoo is accredited by the association, which means it is among the very best zoological facilities in the world, but accidents do happen.

"We know the staff at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo that cared for and loved Eyare are devastated. Our hearts are with them during this challenging time," Ashe said. "From all appearances, the team at Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo are dealing with this heartbreaking situation with the professionalism, seriousness and objectivity that it deserves."

Ashe added the zoo will be providing a report to AZA's independent accreditation commission, which will review the document and work with the zoo to help ensure the risk of similar tragedies is minimized.

Previous animal deaths due to hydraulic doors

Rob Laidlaw, the director of Canadian-based wildlife protection organization Zoocheck, said Wednesday he's encouraged to see the zoo investigate how it can improve its system, though not using hydraulic doors altogether could be a better solution.

He noted the zoo's efforts to introduce more staff training and consider using an alternative system to move animals are good ideas. But he said he's surprised a 2010 AZA review of the Calgary Zoo didn't lead the facility away from using hydraulic doors.

The 2010 review came after a capybara was crushed by a hydraulic door at the Calgary Zoo in 2009. Laidlaw also noted that a gorilla was killed by a hydraulic door at the San Francisco Zoo in 2014, and that the zoo's path forward is to learn from its own mistakes, as well as those made by other zoos.

"Evidence from elsewhere shows that hydraulic doors pose a danger. We've seen that with this death. And when they're operated, preferably you would have those pressure stops like in elevators," Laidlaw said. 

"They pose a hazard, and I don't think there will be any denial of that anymore."

The Calgary Zoo said it's investigating hydraulic doors that give gorillas the choice to stop them at any time. The facility previously switched from vertical or "guillotine" doors — a factor in the capybara's death 15 years ago — to horizontal hydraulic doors, which are more common in AZA-accredited zoos.