A juvenile African painted dog was instantly killed when a guillotine-style door fell on it while a pack of the animals was being transferred at Zoo Miami, the Miami Herald reported.
The young female was one of five puppies born Jan. 23.
Zoo spokesman Ron Magill told the Herald that a cable supporting a solid metal guillotine door separated, causing the door to fall on the animal. The zoo says the doors are used only to provide access to secure areas, not areas with public access.
The litter of five highly endangered African painted dogs — there are fewer than 6,000 left in the wild — contained one male and four females. They were being transferred with both parents.
African painted dogs had a home at Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium until 2012, when 2-year-old Maddox Derkosh was mauled and killed by the animals after falling into the exhibit from an observation deck. It was believed to be the first death in the zoo’s history.
The exhibit was reconstructed as a cheetah exhibit, and the observation deck was removed.
The juvenile dog’s death at Zoo Miami is the second high-profile death this year at the zoo and third in the past calendar year. In February, a 50-year-old African elephant was killed in an incident with another elephant, the Herald reported. In August 2018, a chimpanzee died suddenly at age 28.
