Columbus Zoo cited after door separating groups of lions broke, leading to tragic death

According to a newly released USDA report, a door that separates two different groups of lions was broken and failed to keep them apart, leading to the tragic deaf of a lioness named Asali.

This barrier was specifically in place to keep a male lion named Roary away from Asali, after zoo officials deemed them as “incompatible.”

After the barrier failed on April 17, the lions all ended up gathering together in their Heart of Africa enclosures during the night. Asali’s injuries and bite wounds from a suspected fight were so severe that she had to be euthanized.

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According to zoo officials, they believe the door/panel was actually broken by the lions themselves. “All doors and locks are checked daily by keepers, however during the night, this door gave way. We determined that the window that was manufactured into the door likely created a structural weak point,” the zoo said in a public statement.

The Zoo has shared details of this door failure with other zoos to hopefully prevent a similar incident from occurring.

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