Investigation Confirms Western Lowland Gorilla Death An Accident

20 NOVEMBER 2024 (Calgary, AB) – The death of 2-year-old female western lowland gorilla, ‘Eyare’, was determined to be an accident caused by human error; the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo announced earlier today.

“Eyare was moving around in the back of house, roaming from bedroom to bedroom interacting with the other gorillas. A member of her care team intended to activate a door to separate Eyare from other members of the troop for an individual animal training session but mistakenly activated the wrong door, resulting in Eyare being struck by the door and sustaining traumatic head injuries,” said Colleen Baird, Director of Animal Care, Health and Welfare. “The gorilla team retrieved Eyare from the troop and the Veterinary team immediately commenced lifesaving measures, including CPR. Sadly, Eyare succumbed to her injuries.”

The zoo immediately launched a formal investigation and has shared the preventative and corrective actions they will be taking, including:

• In addition to the existing annual training, processes, and policy requirements, the gorilla care team will now participate in specialized recurrent training annually to demonstrate continued proficiency in operating the hydraulic doors designated for animal use. While the investigation into the cause of death has concluded, the zoo doesn’t take these findings lightly and is continuing to conduct a thorough review to identify any potential opportunities to enhance staff training, improve animal care processes, and reinforce safeguards moving forward.
• They will implement enhanced safeguards and new animal behaviour training, specifically developed for this purpose, to ensure the gorillas receive training sessions to encourage them to maintain a safe distance from doors during movement times.
• They are reassessing control lever locations and design and will implement changes to improve staff ability to confirm (both visually and by touch) what animal door they are moving.
• While the use of hydraulic doors is considered common practice within accredited zoos, they are actively exploring opportunities to transition to alternative door and control designs, if warranted, to enhance overall safety and improve staff confidence while reducing safety risks.

The zoo shared that the gorilla care team member directly involved was immediately removed from the workplace following the incident. Before returning to work with the animals, they will be reassigned to another area of the zoo and will undergo further staff training for that area.

“This tragedy has struck us all in the deepest way imaginable,” said Baird. “Eyare’s short but impactful life brought so much joy to our community, and she will be deeply missed by all. We will do everything we can to prevent future incidents.”

For additional information and answers to common questions, please refer to our FAQ.

About the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo:

• The zoo is home to 6 western lowland gorillas: Jasiri, Zuri, Yewande, Kioja, Dossi, and Okabe.
• The zoo cares for over 4,000 animals across more than 100 species through all seasons of their life – from birth to death.
• Over the last 10 years, the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo has experienced mortality within its aging zoo animal population of an average of 3% per year, all (except for 2) were a result of geriatric and disease-related deaths.
• The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo has had 2 human-caused animal mortalities over the last 10 years: North American river otter (2016) and western lowland gorilla (2024).

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For more information contact:
Alison Archambault
Director, Brand & Engagement
403.232.7766 | 403.919.9482 | mediarelations@calgaryzoo.com

For more than 30 years, the internationally accredited Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo has been a leading authority in wildlife conservation, reintroducing threatened species to the wild and empowering communities to conserve natural resources to positively impact both the environment and local inhabitants.

While our work is global, our roots run deep in the Albertan conservation community. Sitting on 125 acres in the heart of the city, we operate one of the oldest charities in Alberta, the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo – a not-for-profit charitable wildlife conservation organization that works to fight the extinction of plants and animals worldwide. In addition to the zoo, we proudly operate the Archibald Biodiversity Centre (ABC), Canada’s largest conservation breeding and research facility. Nestled on 330 acres in the Albertan prairies, the ABC is a stronghold for biodiversity and a temporary home to some of Canada’s most iconic species-at-risk.

The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is passionate about inspiring and educating generations of visitors about the importance of biodiversity and conservation. Together, we will continue to be a force of nature for making the world a wilder place. Learn more at WilderInstitute.org and CalgaryZoo.com.