Dallas Zoo Faces Hefty Fine after Gorilla Escape!

[TexasStooge]

Dallas zoo faces fine for escape

By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA-TV

It's been 10 months since Jabari escaped his enclosure at the Dallas Zoo. The Dallas Park Board approved $1.8 million in bond money to make improvements to the gorilla exhibit, including raising some walls, and creating so-called "speed bumps," to keep another gorilla from making a similar leap.

While zoo officials hope the improvements will help put the incident behind them, the city is in a fight with the U.S. Department of Agriculture over who's to blame in the March escape.

The USDA levied a $10,000 fine against the zoo. The agency said the zoo "failed to provide housing ... that contains the animals securely and protects them from injuries."

The city defended the gorilla habitat, saying it met industry guidelines and had never been found non-compliant in numerous USDA inspections.

The USDA also cited the zoo's handling of the escape. Three people were injured before police killed Jabari. The USDA said the zoo failed to minimize risk to the animals and the public.

The city said it did just that, by dealing first with injured visitors and evacuating the zoo. "They were putting people in safe areas. They were getting the police and other response members in place, so there was action being taken," city attorney Charles Black said.

There is disagreement even among city leaders over whether to pay or fight the fine. Zoo officials want to pay it. They fear retaliation in future USDA inspections. The city argued that paying a fine that isn't warranted puts it in a bad position in a lawsuit from injured visitors.