Residents Outraged after Zoo Hides Details Following Lion’s Death

Summary:

POWELL, OH – The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has been under fire for its lack of accountability and transparency after one of their lions mauled another lion, who later had to be euthanized, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

“I expect the Zoo and other nonprofits that receive public funds to continuously review and improve their financial controls to ensure public resources are being used appropriately,” Keith Faber, the Ohio state auditor, said in May after his office concluded an investigation into the zoo. The Columbus Zoo formerly housed four lions, two of whom needed to be kept apart for their safety. During nighttime hours, one of the lions broke through a security door separating the animals.

A male lion named Roary attacked a female lion, Asali. While Roary received only minor injuries, Asali had to be euthanized after suffering a major bite wound. In response, the Columbus Zoo denied that any of its employees were to blame for the incident. The zoo claimed that all doors had been properly inspected and had been closed and locked prior to the incident. Further, the zoo argued that the door separating the animals was up to industry standards, but apparently, a window in the door had provided a weak point that allowed the lions to break through, according to the Dispatch. Despite receiving $18.9 million per year in taxpayer funding, operating on publicly owned land, and participating in retirement programs for public employees, the zoo denied a public information request regarding the past year’s animal deaths.

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