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[Carrie McLaren <carrie AT stayfreemagazine.org>]

Gorilla shot dead after escape at Dallas Zoo
http://portmacquarie.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=local&category=general%20news&story_id=293902&y=2004&m=3
07:09 PM CST on Thursday, March 18, 2004
By KATIE MENZER and GRETEL C. KOVACH / The Dallas Morning News

A gorilla escaped at the Dallas Zoo and attacked several people 
Thursday evening, including a four-year-old who was thrown against 
the wall and suffered puncture wounds after he was bit on his temple 
and chest, police said.

One adult and two children sustained minor injuries before the 
gorilla was shot to death by police, said Deputy Police Chief Daniel 
Garcia.

"We had a huge gorilla running through" the zoo, he said. "It tried 
to charge two of our officers, so we had to shoot it."

Four ambulances were called to the zoo at the 650 block of South R. 
L. Thornton Freeway near South Ewing Street after the 13-year-old, 
300-animal escaped from the gorilla conservation area about 5 p.m.

Hundreds of zoo goers fled the compound and others hid inside the zoo 
restaurant and buildings while authorities attempted to subdue the 
animal.

One woman said she watched the gorilla bust out of his cage and then 
sheltered a group of kids against a wall.

"He was banging on the door and broke it down, then he jumped out," 
Diana Gonzalez told WFAA-Channel 8 news. "He was growling and 
yelling."

Ms. Gonzalez said the gorilla jumped on top of another woman. But Ms. 
Gonzalez said she and several children were able to calmly and 
quietly exit the building without injury.

Another woman was trapped with a group of nine children.
"It was petrifying, we were about a hundred feet away from the 
gorilla. He was moving in and out of the trees, we had nowhere to 
go," said Beatrice Vallejo, who brought some of her school-aged 
relatives to the zoo during their spring break from school.
Police said about 300 people were at the zoo when the gorilla escaped.

Dozens of officers were ordered to the zoo, including tactical units. 
Officers feared the gorilla may have cornered several people, 
including a 2-year-old.

"We have reliable information that people are down in there, 
including a 2-year-old," one officer radioed to police dispatch. It 
was not clear if the toddler was injured - an officer later reported 
that an 8-year-old and the 2-year-old were fine.

It wasn't the first time that a gorilla had escaped its cage at the 
zoo and injured someone.

A 25-year-old zoo keeper was mauled by a gorilla at the Dallas Zoo in 
November of 1998 after the door to the animal's cage was left open, 
zoo officials said at the time.

Hercules, a 340-pound male silverback gorilla, was tranquilized with 
a dart gun after the woman escaped. Her family members said the 
attack lasted more than half an hour, leaving her with more than 30 
puncture wounds.

Zoo officials said Thursday that that attack was not as serious as 
the more recent one because the gorilla had not threatened the public.

Zoo officials have for several years said their facility is 
underfunded, although it wasn't know Thursday whether this played a 
part in the animal's escape.

The nonprofit Dallas Zoological Society is now in the process of 
trying to persuade Dallas County commissioners take over the 114-year 
old zoo. The society has proposed that the county ask voters to 
approve a new property-tax of up to 3 cents per $100 valuation to 
finance .

Under the proposal, the county would take over ownership of the zoo 
from the city, with a zoo board to governing operations.
A county property tax, when combined with other revenues, could allow 
the zoo a $22 million operating budget and create $18 million a year 
to complete an ambitious, long-range master plan.
Zoo director Rich Buickerood said last month that a shortage of funds 
has led to a decline in the number of workers at the zoo, and has 
prompted maintenance to be postponed. A January audit by the city 
warned that a lack of employees "may lead to decreased productivity 
and increased employee turnover."

"We're stagnating," Mr. Buickerood said last month. "It's getting 
harder to maintain and operate on the money we've got."

Staff writers Jason Trahan and WFAA-Channel 8 contributed to this report.

E-mail gkovach AT dallasnews.com or kmenzer AT dallasnews.com

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carrie mclaren
stayfreemagazine.org
carriemclaren.com
ph: 718.398.9324