A zoo in Ohio has been cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture after the agency investigated the death of a female lion at the park.
According to the USDA report, the Columbus Zoo self-reported an April 17 incident in which a sliding door meant to separate two groups of lions failed.
The barrier was supposed to keep a male lion, named Roary, away from an adult female lion named Asali. The animals were separated after zoo officials deemed them incompatible, according to WBNS.
All of the lions ended up in the same space, which ultimately led to both Roary and Asali suffering injuries from fights inside their enclosures.
Veterinarians at the zoo treated the lions immediately after they were injured, but Asali's bite wounds were too severe and she had to be euthanized.
Roary sustained minor injuries and recovered after the incident.
Two younger lionesses were also living in the habitat, and neither were hurt.
Columbus Zoo staff believe that the sliding panel that separated the groups of animals was actually broken by one of the animals.
The USDA cited the zoo and asked it to fix the issue by June 20. The agency has also asked the zoo to make sure that its replacement is made of more durable material.
The window in the paneling was, according to zoo officials, the weak point that allowed the door to break.
“All doors and locks are checked daily by keepers, however during the night, this door gave way. We determined that the window that was manufactured into the door likely created a structural weak point,” the zoo said in a statement.
Zoo officials conducted an internal investigation into the malfunction, and in doing so checked other, similar paneling throughout the park.
A zoo spokesperson told WBNS that the organization is trying to make the best of a bad situation by learning from the incident and sharing that knowledge with other zoos and wildlife parks.
“As part of our commitment to animal wellbeing and continuous improvement, we have shared details of the incident with other accredited zoos," the spokesperson told WBNS.
The spokesperson said the Columbus Zoo knows "the importance of not just holding ourselves accountable but helping elevate standards across the profession."
“The safety and wellbeing of our animals is—and always will be—our top priority," the spokesperson said. "We continue to grieve the loss of Asali and are committed to doing everything in our power to prevent an incident like this from ever happening again.”
