One of the youngest members of The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo’s lowland gorilla troupe has passed away, after an incident at the zoo on Nov. 12.
The zoo said that Eyare, the two-year-old female member of the troupe, was injured moving between back-of-house spaces at the gorilla enclosure.
“Her care team and our veterinary staff acted extremely quickly to save her, but Eyare subsequently passed away,” said Colleen Baird, Director of Animal Care, Health and Welfare at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo.
“As a result of her injuries, an investigation will be undertaken, including necropsy to understand what happened and any changes to processes or infrastructure that need to be made to prevent this from happening in the future.”
Baird said that Eyare was the first infant born from female troupe member Dossi and silverback Jasiri in 2022.
The zoo celebrated Eyare’s first birthday in April of 2023.
“Her passing will leave an immense hole in the hearts of our organization and our community. Eyare will be remembered for a playful, curious spirit. Her short but impactful life brought unending joy to our lives. She will be deeply missed by all,” said Baird.
“Saying goodbye to the animals we love and care for is never easy, but it’s especially so when it’s unexpected.”
She said that both the zoo staff and the lowland gorilla troupe were grieving Eyare’s death, and that support was being provided by the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo.
Details on the cause of the accident were not immediately available, but Baird said that the zoo would be looking at CCTV video, speaking to zoo staff who witnessed the accident, and performing a necropsy to determine the full causes of the injury and subsequent death.
“We want to look at everything right now. It’s too early for us to say but we want to look at all the angles, so an investigation needs to happen before we can talk about it further,” she said.
She said that it’s not unusual to move animals, including gorillas into back-of-house spaces, and that those spaces are regularly used for feeding and for training purposes.
“They’re moving from one location to another off habitat that gives us a better chance to do training with them, ultrasound, and vet care, and that happens in the back house,” Baird said.
