Pregnant Woman Injured By Audubon Zoo Gorilla
The past few days have not been the best of days for the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Over the weekend the zoological park had to euthanize one of its most beloved animals, King Zulu, the white tiger. Now comes word that a zoo patron has been injured by one of the park's gorillas.
Sylvia Cressy is six months pregnant. She and her family were touring the zoo on Sunday during an event known as Soul Fest. That is when "Praline" one of the park's two female gorillas hurled a block of wood into the crowd. The projectile struck Cressy in the head.
It really took the wind out of me and I fell on my belly. As I regained consciousness, I was just worried about my baby.
Cressy made those comments to New Orleans TV station WWL.
Although Cressy was not seriously injured in the incident she did spend several hours at two different New Orleans hospitals. At last report, Cressy and her unborn child are doing well.
If you were wondering "why does the zoo give gorillas chunks of wood"? They are much more than just pieces of lumber. They are called enrichment tools.The chunks of wood are filled with honey and treats and are used in the gorilla habitat on a regular basis.
As of this writing, the zoo had not disclosed any changes in their protocol for these "enrichment tools" however, you can rest assured the incident is being studied.