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Baby gorilla's death could have been avoided, zookeepers say

SAN FRANCISCO -- A baby gorilla may not have been crushed to death under an electric door if zoo leaders had responded to zookeepers' concerns about the enclosure's safety, five zookeepers told a newspaper.

The 30-year-old gorilla enclosure had a flawed layout, problems with the doors and was understaffed, the zookeepers told the San Francisco Chronicle in a story published Thursday.

"It was a freak accident," said Corey Hallman, one of the animal keepers. "But with a workplace that takes safety and keeper input more seriously, it could have been prevented."

The 16-month-old gorilla named Kabibe died Nov. 7 when she unexpectedly darted under the door as it closed.

Zoo Executive Director Tanya Peterson has said that the hydraulic door was working properly but that the worker operating it failed to keep her hand on an emergency stop button as required, CBS San Francisco reported.

In addition, zookeepers can't see all the gorilla exhibit's doors from the doors' control panel, according to the zookeepers.

"It's a very stressful situation," zookeeper Dayna Sherwood said. "You can't always see what everyone's doing."

Zoo officials declined to comment on the keepers' complaints. They are investigating Kabibe's death.

Peterson said in a guest editorial in The Chronicle that the U.S. Department of Agriculture routinely inspects the enclosure, and in January, found no "non-compliant" issues with the exhibit.

"Nothing in recent inspection reports gave me reason to believe there was anything wrong with the exhibit," Peterson wrote.

But an outside investigator found the enclosure is outdated and unsafe. The doors have a history of mechanical failures, including jamming and unexpectedly collapsing.

In 2010, Kabibe's older brother got his hand caught in the same door that killed his sister, according to zoo records cited by the Chronicle.

An adult gorilla had her hand caught under another door in July 2012, and last March, a door had to be pried open with a crowbar after it jammed shut, the newspaper reported.

In a Nov. 6, 2013, email to managers, zookeeper Eva Soni proposed hiring another person to help move gorillas and chimpanzees into their night quarters, according to CBS San Francisco.

"I am all for more safety and I think the buddy system is a good idea, it just needs to be done right," she wrote. "The only long-term, safe and feasible option I can think of is adding another 'ape keeper' to our staff who will assist both chimps and gorillas."

Amy Corso, one of the zookeepers interviewed by The Chronicle, said the zoo issued a requirement that a second worker be on hand to help while gorillas are moved following Kabibe's death.

The zoo has also hired an animal psychologist who is an expert in gorilla enclosures to help investigate Kabibe's death.

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