Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310810627 - Zoological Society Of San Diego

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 8:15 a.m. on March 6, 2007, Employee #1 was working for the Zoological Society of San Diego, better known as the San Diego Zoo, as a senior animal keeper. He was in the service area for the bedroom facility at the Zoo's bonobo exhibit, conducting an oral inspection on an adult female chimpanzee. The animal was in a cage. Employee #1 was standing approximately 2 feet from the front of the cage bars, using his right hand to give visual cues to the chimp. Employee #1 had just finished giving a cue, with his hand almost touching the bar, when the chimp reached through the cage bars, grabbed his wrist, and bit off the tip of the index finger on his right hand. Employee #1 sustained an avulsed segment of the distal terminal phalanx, which contained small amounts of bone, the nail bed, and some skin. A coworker standing alongside Employee #1 saw the attack and immediately helped break the grip of the chimp by using his body. The coworker grabbed towels to wrap around the bleeding finger and took Employee #1 to the onsite medical clinic for assessment. Employee #1 was then transported by his supervisor to the emergency room at Scripps Mercy Hospital, where he was treated. The fingertip was successfully reattached, and Employee #1 went home that same afternoon. The employer has an injury and illness prevention program (IIPP), but this husbandry task and the dangers associated with it, including the chimp's grip and how far it could reach, the wearing of loose clothing, and employee proximity to the cage bars, had not been identified or evaluated.

Keywords: AMUSE PARK/CARNIVAL, AMPUTATED, FINGER, ANIMAL HANDLER, ANIMAL BITE