A tiger ate a Eurasian eagle owl that flew away from its handler at the Minnesota Zoo, CBS reported Wednesday.
The incident occurred in April when the owl flew from its handler during a training session, a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture says. The handler was preparing the animal for a bird show when it failed to return, landing in the zoo’s outdoor tiger enclosure. A tiger then ate the owl, the outlet reported.
“The bird flew into the Zoo’s Tiger Lair habitat. Before staff could intervene, the tiger within that habitat preyed upon the owl,” Minnesota Zoo’s communication and media relations manager, Zach Nugent, told NBC News.
Nugent told NBC the owl was in the early stages of training for the bird show and was still “acclimating to its new environment.” (RELATED: Polar Bear Dies At Zoo In Freak Accident With Fellow Bear).
Owl at Minnesota Zoo eaten by tiger after it flies away from handler: https://t.co/Cvx4kFEMfX #KAKEnews
— KAKE News (@KAKEnews) August 8, 2024
“Animal welfare is a top priority in all facets of Zoo operations. This was a tragic incident and the Zoo has been working closely with its free-flight bird training partners to review our policies and procedures,” Nugent told the outlet.
An incident report instructed the Minnesota Zoo to create and maintain flight training procedures that prevent animals from facing harm for physical trauma, CBS reported.
Eurasian eagle-owls look on during a meet-up of the Kuwait Owl Team, a local group dedicated to the protection and proliferation of owls, in Kuwait City on March 6, 2021. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP) (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images)
The report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture advised the establishment to create a plan for the animals for potential shelter-in-place emergencies, the outlet reported. The report also found the camel enclosure needed repairs and that the garbage area of the feed supply was infested with pests.
The camel enclosure has reportedly since been fixed.
In 2021, a Eurasian eagle owl named Gladys died after flying away from the Minnesota Zoo when she fell off a tree during a training session, according to CBS News. The bird was found injured on the side of the road days later. Veterinary staff was unable to save Gladys, the outlet reported.
