ARTICLE · 07 NOVEMBER 2014

Failure To Implement Improvements Following Risk Assessment Leads To Prosecution

Arthur Cox

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In October 2014 in Dublin District Court, Dublin Zoo was given the benefit of the Probation Acts after they made a full apology, gave a €5,000 contribution to charity, and entered a guilty plea to a charge of breaching section 19.4 of the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.

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In October 2014 in Dublin District Court, Dublin Zoo was given the benefit of the Probation Acts after they made a full apology, gave a €5,000 contribution to charity, and entered a guilty plea to a charge of breaching section 19.4 of the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.

The Court heard that a risk assessment carried out in 2006 had stated that the public should only be allowed to get close to harmless animals such as stick insects.

In August 2013 however, as a favour, a zoo keeper had allowed a family friend with four young children to have a "close encounter" within the Tapir enclosure. A two year old girl suffered serious injuries to her stomach and arm when a normally docile 225kg Brazilian Tapir reacted aggressively to the child screeching and picked her up in her mouth. The child's mother also suffered injuries in trying to release and rescue her daughter.

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