What's next in Harambe investigation?
Both the federal government and an accrediting agency will investigate safety at the Cincinnati Zoo following the death of 17-year-old western lowland gorilla Harambe Saturday.
The United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums both plan investigations of the incident, in which a 3-year-old boy got into the Gorilla World exhibit, the Enquirer confirmed Tuesday. The zoo's dangerous animal response team ultimately shot and killed the primate.
The USDA has found ten violations in last three years during inspections at the zoo. But most were minor, and none were at Gorilla World.
The USDA is tasked with enforcing the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), a portion of which governs the humane care and treatment of animals that are exhibited to the public. Facilities that exhibit regulated animals must be licensed by the USDA.
The agency could not say when it might look into the incident, since inspections are not announced in advance, according to Tanya Espinosa, public affairs specialist with the USDA-APHIS.
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"We take all noncompliances seriously," she said via email Tuesday.
In general, enforcement is done through routine, unannounced inspections, conducted at least once a year by veterinarians or other animal care professionals. Facilities must give APHIS full access to animals, the areas where they are kept and records about them. When a facility is not meeting standards, inspectors issue citations and set a deadline by which the problems must be corrected.
When an incident occurs, the USDA conducts a "focused inspection," looking at just one area of a facility.
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Facilities with repeat citations or serious incidents may face penalties. Those start with warning letters and escalate to fines, suspended or revoked licenses, even confiscations of animals.
In February 2014, the USDA ordered the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium to pay a $4,550 settlement stemming from the death of a two-year-old boy, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The boy had died almost 15 months earlier, when, after his mother balanced him on a railing, he fell into the African dogs exhibit and was killed by the animals.
According to public records available on the USDA site, no noncompliant items were identified during the Cincinnati Zoo's most recent inspection, which took place April 6 and April 7.
A total of 10 noncompliance items were found at the zoo during the last three years, the period for which records are available in the online database.
The USDA looks at facilities individually and does not compare them, Espinosa said, so she could not comment on whether the number of citations at the Cincinnati Zoo was greater or lesser than those found at other zoos.
However, a search of USDA records for zoos in the region of somewhat similar size (the Cincinnati Zoo is 80 acres) shows that the 77-acre Pittsburgh Zoo and the 134-acre Louisville Zoo had five total citations during the three-year period. During the same time, the 64-acre Indianapolis Zoo showed one citation.
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At the Cincinnati Zoo, the most recent citations date to March 17 and a so-called "focused investigation" of the zoo's polar bear exhibit. Polar bears "Little One" and "Berit" had escaped a primary containment area into a secondary, behind-the-scenes area through an open pen door the day before. A keeper who spotted one of the bears "initiated the facility emergency response plan by calling 'Code Houdini-Polar Bear' to security," the USDA report states.
The report notes that two doors left open "by keeper error" led to the breach. The USDA did not fine or punish the zoo.
Other citations during the three-year period are:
Nov 3, 2014 - Two citations, for deteriorating wood on an outdoor monkey enclosure and on a Przewalski's horse enclosure. Neither was noted as a possible containment risk. Those are listed as needing to be corrected by Nov. 13 and Nov. 19, respectively, with no further citation given.
June 17, 2014 - One citation because an enclosure containing zebra, cows and sheep had sharp, loose wires that "do not provide for a structurally sound enclosure." The issue is listed as being corrected at the time of inspection.
June 16, 2014 - Five citations, four related to animal veterinary care (for example, vet orders not being completely followed or vets not being informed of problems), and one related to sanitation of a rhinoceros building. All vet issues were corrected at the time of inspection, the report states, and the sanitation issue was to be corrected by June 25, with no further citation given.
June 4, 2013 - One citation noting that the zoo's perimeter fence was in disrepair in multiple locations (mostly gaps or holes underneath it). This is listed as a repeat problem, though the issue had been "partially corrected," according to the documents. The report also mentions materials being too close to the fence, making it easier to get over.
In addition to the USDA, the AZA will also investigate the incident.
As part of AZA-accreditation, all member facilities are required to conduct four safety drills per year, as well as have an emergency response plan in place for dangerous animals, according to Rob Vernon, AZA spokesperson.
"I think that preparation is what you saw happen in Cincinnati, where the zoo professionals were able to resolve the situation very quickly," Vernon said. "They have a top-notch staff there, and it showed during Saturday’s unfortunate incident.
Cincinnati Zoo officials declined to comment further on zoo safety Tuesday. During a press conference Monday, Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard told the crowd of assembled reporters that the zoo is safe.
Maynard said zoo officials will be investigating the gorilla enclosure, as well as other areas of the zoo. They'll be looking to see if changes need to be made to help ensure the safety of the zoo's 1.6 million yearly visitors, as well as its animals, he said.
Enquirer reporter Cameron Knight contributed.