Conservationists call for greater transparency, systemic review of Calgary Zoo

The sudden death of a two-year-old gorilla at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo has prompted some conservation experts to push for change.

The sudden death of a two-year-old gorilla at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo has prompted some conservation experts to push for change.

The zoo said on Tuesday that Eyare, a female western lowland gorilla, had been injured while moving between back-of-house spaces. 

Despite the efforts to save her, Eyare ultimately died as a result of her injuries.

The zoo declined to share any further details about the gorilla's fatal injuries or what caused them, saying an investigation is underway and a necropsy will be completed.  

The lack of details shared by the zoo isn’t sitting well with Marc Bekoff, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

"This lack of transparency is really disturbing," he said. "I mean there’s no information made available to the public that was useful, so it’s frustrating."

Bekoff says the Calgary Zoo should potentially undergo a systemic review to make sure that those in charge of the animals at the facility are doing their jobs properly.