USDA cites Columbus Zoo for failure of door that resulted in lion’s death

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A door dividing incompatible lions at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium broke in April, resulting in the death of a lion and a citation from the United States Department of Agriculture. 

The zoo self-reported the April 17 incident to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service during a routine inspection that took place on June 9-11.

The zoo’s staff knew a male lion named Roary and a female lion named Asali did not get along, so the two were kept separate, with each housed with another female lion. Overnight, there was a “failure of a door” separating the lions, and zookeepers found all four lions together in the morning, according to the USDA report.

Zookeepers discovered that Roary and Asali had sustained injuries during an altercation. While they were both immediately treated by a veterinarian, Asali had a “fatal bite wound” and had to be euthanized, according to the zoo. Roary sustained minor bite wounds and has since recovered. 

The zoo believes one of the animals broke the panel separating the enclosures, according to the report. A spokesperson with the zoo said its staff immediately inspected all similar doors in the habitats of large carnivores and primates and did not find any issues. 

The USDA cited the zoo, asking it to ensure habitats are “constructed of materials” with a strength that is “appropriate for the animals housed” by June 20, although the report noted the zoo “implemented improvements” prior to the inspection. The zoo stated all six doors with similar structural designs in the lion building were replaced as of the USDA’s deadline. 

The facility said the doors in its lion enclosures are constructed with HDPE – a thick material commonly used in animal enclosures at zoos – and feature windows that can be opened and closed. The zoo said that while all doors are locked and checked daily by keepers, the way the window was manufactured into the door “likely created a structural weak point” that allowed the door to become damaged.

Since the incident occurred, the zoo said it conducted a full internal review and shared details of the incident with other accredited zoos to help prevent similar incidents. 

“The safety and wellbeing of our animals is – and always will be – our top priority,” a zoo spokesperson said. “We continue to grieve the loss of Asali and are committed to doing everything in our power to prevent an incident like this from ever happening again.”

In a statement, the zoo pointed out it successfully passed a “rigorous” USDA inspection in January 2024, as well as successful inspections by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in December 2022, the Zoological Association of America in March 2022, and American Humane June 2023.