City of Little Rock officials released findings Monday from an internal review of the Little Rock Zoo, three weeks after a child fell into the jaguar exhibit.
A 3-year-old boy suffered critical injuries from the fall, but was treated and released from Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
The report outlining the Oct. 10 incident shows how Little Rock Zoo employees implemented an organized a team response to rescue the child as soon as distress calls were made. Fire extinguishers and a ladder were used to rescue the child from the exhibit, and the time between the initial 911 call and the dispatch of Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services and Little Rock Fire Department officials was less than two minutes.
The Zoo’s level of preparedness was also evaluated in the review.
The staff participated in a "Code Red" exercise on June 10 and met on Oct. 7 to discuss revisions to the policy. On the day the boy fell into the enclosure, the staff had conducted a "Code Red" drill at 8:30 a.m. — just two hours before the incident.
Assistant City Manager James Jones concludes in the review that the jaguar exhibit "fully complies with all applicable regulations," and the Zoo staff's response was "rapid and professional."
The city manager's office has asked the Little Rock Zoo to invest in additional signage to be placed throughout the Zoo, reminding the public to remain behind all barriers and providing staff phone numbers in case of an emergency.
Read Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more on this story.
