Calgary Zoo says zookeeper responsible for escaped gorillas ‘no longer employed’

CALGARY – The Calgary Zoo says the zookeeper responsible for allowing several gorillas to escape from their enclosure on Friday is no longer employed by them.

The primates gained access to an area in the TransAlta Rainforest which only animal care staff should have access to, and is designated as a secondary containment area.

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The Calgary Zoo Emergency Response Team got to the scene within minutes and quickly secured one gorilla that was still in the kitchen. In the process, a keeper received minor injuries.

“It is extremely fortunate that neither the gorillas nor any staff members were seriously injured during this incident,” said Dr. Malu Celli in a news release. “There could have been terribly tragic consequences.”

After an investigation, officials say it appears the gorillas got out of their enclosure after an employee failed to properly latch a door.

Zoo officials say the public was never at risk, as the area the gorillas managed to access isn’t one the public is allowed into.