A Toledo Zoo orangutan seriously injured a volunteer this past weekend, detaching the victim’s thumb.
Shayla Bell Moriarty, zoo vice president and chief of staff, said the unpaid female staff member was working with two paid staff members during a routine feeding in an off-exhibit holding area Saturday afternoon. Bajik, a 14-year-old male born at the zoo in 2005, “reached through the mesh enclosure and made contact with the unpaid staff member’s hand.”
Mrs. Moriarty said that to the best of the zoo’s knowledge, Bajik stuck his fingers through a small gap between welded steel bars. He grabbed her thumb, pulled her forearm through the gap, and bit down on her forearm. Her thumb became detached during the encounter, though the zoo does not yet know how.
An internal investigation is ongoing. There are no surveillance cameras in that area of the facility that could have recorded the incident, Mrs. Moriarty said.
The injured woman has worked with apes at the Toledo Zoo for about 18 years, and with Bajik since his birth.
“Staff are trained over time to work with orangutans, and ability to interact in different situations is granted as staff members gain experience,” Mrs. Moriarty said.
The injuries were not life-threatening and the woman was treated at a local hospital, Mrs. Moriarty said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums have been notified of the incident.
Suzanne Husband, associate curator of mammals, said the orangutans at the time of the incident were stationed at various places along the barrier as they are trained to do in order to receive high-calorie foods.
“Any of the high-calorie foods are always done individually because if we scattered it, [Bajik] would eat every [piece] in the exhibit,” Ms. Husband said.
While they cannot get their hands or arms through the barrier, and Ms. Husband said all of the zoo’s great apes will attempt to sneak their fingers through to grab things. It’s a known behavior staff must watch for, and orangutans — like all great apes — are incredibly strong. Bajik’s father, Boomer, once folded a quarter in half with only his thumb and forefinger, Ms. Husband said.
“That’s part of what we deal with,” Ms. Husband said. “They are highly intelligent. They’re aware of everything.”
Ms. Husband said orangutans also often use their mouths as an additional hand. She said it is likely Bajik bit down on the woman’s arm not as an aggressive act but instead using his mouth as another tool to pull her. Ms. Husband noted zoo animals do not have to behave aggressively to injure a person.
The other staff were able to immediately intervene and distract Bajik, and he quickly released the woman. Mrs. Moriarty said the entire incident lasted only a few seconds and there was no threat to the public.
“As we do an internal review of the incident, it shows that safety protocols were followed and at no time did the orangutan get out of the enclosure or pose any danger to the public,” Mrs. Moriarty said.
Michael Frushour, curator of mammals, said Bajik remains with his troop and is on exhibit as usual. His care has not changed as a result of this incident.
“It’s not the animal’s fault in any way,” Mr. Frushour said. “Nothing should change for him. ... They are a dangerous animal and intelligent. That we’ve determined, there was nothing out of the ordinary with the way the session was going.”
Mr. Frushour said Bajik is “absolutely not” at risk of euthanasia after the incident. The matter likewise will not affect any potential breeding recommendation for him through the Species Survival Plan, Ms. Husband said.
As part of the investigatory process, the zoo is reviewing its policies and procedures to determine if any changes need to be made.
“These protocols, these procedures, these are things that are constantly reviewed if there’s an incident or not,” Mrs. Moriarty said. “We’re very proactive in nature here at the zoo.”
The zoo could not provide an estimated time frame for the completion of its investigation.
First Published January 21, 2019, 11:12 p.m.
