SEATTLE — A zookeeper at Woodland Park Zoo had a serious injury to their hand after they were bit by an orangutan through a mesh barrier.
The incident happened during a routine training session.
The staff member was immediately taken to a hospital, where they were treated for the injury.
“The zoo practices protected contact with all its orangutans, which means there is a physical barrier—such as fencing or mesh—between staff and animals at all times. Throughout the incident, the orangutan remained secured in the habitat and no other staff or guests were involved, injured or at risk,” Woodland Park Zoo said in a press release.
It’s unclear exactly what kind of injury the keeper got, but according to the Albuquerque Zoo, orangutans “have very strong, large jaws for cracking and crushing fruits with hard thick shells.”
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says orangutans are generally non-aggressive toward humans and each other and that they cab often exhibit very human-like behavior.
The zoo said it is thoroughly investigating how this incident occurred. Its animal care managers will also carefully evaluate the protected contact barriers to determine whether any modifications are necessary.
Veterinarians who examined the orangutan said the animal was behaving normally and that there were no glaring health, emotional or behavioral issues that would cause alarm.
“We are very saddened our team member was injured and know this has been a very stressful and difficult experience for them and the rest of our Animal Care team. We are in contact with the animal keeper and will do all we can to support them as they heal,” said Alejandro Grajal, President and CEO at Woodland Park Zoo.
There are currently four adult orangutans living at the zoo. The orangutan habitat in Trail of Vines remains open to guests during zoo hours.
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