Utica Zoo Temporarily Closes After an African Lion Injures a Zookeeper

The zoo is closed on Wednesday after a “keeper suffered non-life-threatening injuries” on Tuesday afternoon

The Utica Zoo is closed one day after a staffer came into contact with one of the zoo's male African lions.

On Wednesday morning, the upstate N.Y. zoo shared a post to Facebook stating that it would be closed to the public on Oct. 18 “to ensure our staff have time to focus on the care of themselves, as well as the animals at the zoo.”

The zoo first shared the news that a zookeeper came into contact with one of the African lions during a “routine feeding and closing procedure” in a post to Facebook on Tuesday.

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“The keeper suffered non-life-threatening injuries, was treated and is expected to be released from a local hospital this evening,” the zoo’s post continued, emphasizing that the public and other staff members were not at risk and the lions never left their enclosures.

The Utica Zoo also stated that it has reached out to its accreditor, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, to inform them of the incident.

In the post, Andria Heath, the zoo’s executive director, shared a statement, writing that “there will be no punitive action against our lions."

“An incident occurred which is being reviewed, will be learned from and we are all grateful our staff and animals are okay," Heath explained.

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The post added that the zoo’s African lions will be “off-exhibit” as the institution “conducts a thorough review of its procedures.”

In the Facebook post announcing the zoo’s closure for the day, the staff thanked the Utica community for their support since the incident occurred.

“On behalf of the zoo's staff and board of directors, we thank the majority of our community who have reached out with concern and well wishes,” the post reads.

The post concluded by announcing that the zoo will reopen on Thursday, Oct. 19.

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