A stock photo of a Komodo dragon.Photo:Jakub Zavrel/Getty
Jakub Zavrel/Getty
The Akron Zoo is taking a closer look at an incident involving one of its two Komodo dragons.
According to a statement on the Ohio zoo’s website, an “incident” occurred on March 3 that left a staff member injured.
“On March 3, 2024, an incident occurred in the Komodo Kingdom employee service area that resulted in a staff member being injured,“the Akron Zoo shared online.
After the incident occurred, the zoo launched an investigation into what led to the event. The zoo said staff members “are working with [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] OSHA” on the investigation.
“Safety is and will remain the utmost priority for our staff, visitors, and animals,” the Akron Zoo said, adding that it is keeping the details of the injured “valued team member” to a minimum to protect the individual’s privacy.
The Akron Zoo is home to two Komodo dragons,according to FOX 8. The Komodo dragon, who was “not involved in the staff member’s injuries,” was also injured during the incident with the other Komodo dragon and is currently recovering.
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According toNational Geographic, Komodo dragons are the heaviest lizards on Earth, often weighing over 300 pounds.
The Fort Worth Zoorecently made headlines for its own incidentinvolving an animal. In October, two zookeepers were accidentally trapped in a silverback gorilla’s enclosure with the animal. The gorilla was let into the habitat while the two keepers were still working in the space.
In response to the clip, a representative for the Fort Worth Zoo told PEOPLE, “On Oct. 20, 2023, an incident led to two of our zookeepers sharing space with our 34-year-old silverback gorilla. Thankfully, there was no physical contact between keepers and gorilla, and all staff and animals are safe.”
“Every day, the zookeepers shift the gorilla troop into their indoor habitat so that keepers can place the animals' lunch in their outdoor habitat. Due to keeper error, staff entered the yard unaware that the silverback was still in its habitat,” the zoo added in its response.
source: people.com
