Parents refusal to get vaccine forced the Minnesota zoo to put down their meerkats

2006 biting incident forced zoo to destroy five animals, though exhibit stayed open for another three years

With debate raging over the Cincinnati Zoo’s decision to euthanize an endangered gorilla after a child fell into its enclosure, documents from a similar incident ten years prior raise the same questions about parental responsibility and stringent laws concerning animal safety.

Last year, MuckRock user Greg Kline filed a request with the Minnesota for their records concerning a 2006 incident in which nine-year old girl was bitten after scaling the zoo’s Meerkats of the Kalahari exhibit, leading to the destruction of the animals.

The zoo’s Vice President for External Relations responded, and, after clarifying that the exhibit remained open after the incident, only closing to make room for a playground, provided the letter the zoo prepared in response, which provided the context for the decision to put the animals down.