The owl escaped on April 29 during a flight training session for a bird show at the zoo, located in the Twin Cities suburb of Apple Valley.
A Eurasian eagle owl at a Minnesota zoo escaped its keeper but ended up in a tiger enclosure, where it was killed, according to government and zoo reports.
The owl escaped during a flight training session for a bird show at the zoo, located in the Twin Cities suburb of Apple Valley, on April 29.
The owl did not return to its keeper but instead landed in an outdoor enclosure, where it was killed by a tiger, according to a July 1 inspection report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“The bird flew into the zoo’s tiger habitat. The tiger attacked the owl inside that habitat before staff could intervene,” zoo spokesman Zach Nugent told NBC News on Wednesday.
The inspection report said handling of animals during training sessions “must be done in a manner that does not cause trauma or physical harm to the animals.”
The zoo was to “develop and maintain a training program for free flight training that ensures all animals are handled in a manner that prevents trauma or physical harm” by July 5.
Nugent said the zoo has complied with the report’s recommendation.
“Animal welfare is a top priority in all aspects of the zoo’s operations,” he said. “This was a tragic incident and the zoo is working closely with its free flight bird training partners to review our policies and procedures.”
NBC News has contacted the zoo for comment.
That July report also found problems with the zoo’s contingency plan for caring for animals when they take shelter during emergencies or disasters, and with the enclosure that housed the camel that “was not in good condition.”
It also found that the pest control program was “ineffective in the garage where bagged feed supplies and other feed used to feed animals on the premises are stored.”
Similarly, the zoo was given a deadline in July to resolve the issues.
Nugent said the zoo has “many years of experience training birds in free flight.”
“We recognize that each animal is an individual and as such, we create programs based on their flight skills, experience and overall adaptability for inclusion in the free flight program,” he said.
“This particular owl was in the early stages of its training and was adjusting to its new environment.”
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