Dublin Zoo has been ordered to pay €5000 to charity for breaching health and safety regulations after a two-year-old girl was mauled by a Brazilian tapir, leaving her with stomach and arm injuries. Her mother also required medical attention.
The incident happened during a supervised “close encounter” experience in the tapir enclosure on 8 August last year. The 225kg tapir picked the girl up in its mouth after the child ‘let out a screech’. The usually mild-mannered tapir had been placid prior to this, the court heard.
Following an investigation the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) prosecuted The Zoological Society of Ireland, which admitted a breakdown in communication was to blame for a 2006 risk assessment not being heeded. It had stated that the public should only be allowed to get close to harmless animals like stick-insects.
It was heard that zoo-keeper Susan O’Brien let a family with four young children have a close encounter with an animal, as a favour for a friend. The zoo’s director was unaware of this and defence counsel Shay Fleming and Mairead Wall of the HSA agreed these were no longer happening.
The zoo pleaded guilty to a single count contrary to Section 19.4 of the 2005 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act for failing to implement a risk assessment, at Dublin District Court.
Judge John O’Neill heard that there had never been any incident like this in the zoo’s 180-year history and it was humiliated, apologetic and embarrassed, and has implemented new safety measures.
He therefore ruled that if it donated €2,500 to the Jack and Jill Foundation and the same amount to Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice he would apply the Probation Offenders Act, sparing the zoo a fine and criminal record. The case was adjourned for eight weeks.
In a statement issued after the case Dublin Zoo said it had introduced additional updated safety protocols and procedures. Among these are changes to the tapir habitat to make it a protected contact habitat for staff and the installation of a secondary perimeter fence.
The statement concluded: “Dublin Zoo will continuously review its safety procedures and policies to ensure best practice is in place.”
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