Bramble Park Animal Kill Policy Similar to Cincinnati Zoo

WATERTOWN, S.D. (AP) — An official with the Bramble Park Zoo says that if a dangerous animal was on the loose at the Watertown facility, staff would handle the situation similarly to that at the Cincinnati Zoo, where a gorilla was shot and killed last week after a child made his way into the animal's enclosure.

General curator Jim Lloyd tells the Watertown Public Opinion that the animal would automatically be killed if there's a potential for a human to be killed or injured.

Lloyd says all zoos affiliated with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, including Bramble Park, enforce a policy requiring staff to prioritize human lives over animal lives.

But he acknowledges that the situations would still be difficult, especially because staff often form close bonds with the animals.

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