HOUSTON – The decision to put down an endangered 450-pound gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo has sparked a controversy that has crossed state borders — landing close to home.
Executive vice-president David Brady with the Houston Zoo said the incident has forced the organization to reevaluate its own safety procedures.
“There's no great way to anticipate all the things that could happen, but we feel like we have all the policies and procedures in place to do the right things," Brady said.
Those procedures include barriers such as fences and drop-off that are intended to keep humans and animals at a safe distance from each other.
If a person does cross one of these barriers, Brady said there are cameras and alarms to notify the zoo's danger defense team.
“They are notified, alerted immediately and they converge on the area,” Brady said.
He said the team quickly springs into action, reporting to the scene and taking care of any instance that maybe cause a safety issue for anyone.
Brady said on a regular basis the U.S. Department of Agriculture inspects all animal habitats to hold them accountable to these standards.