One of the Calgary Zoo's two capybaras was crushed in December 2009 by a hydraulic gate, prompting an independent review of animal care at the facility. (Calgary Zoo)

The Calgary Zoo has developed a 36-point plan in response to a report by independent experts that spotlighted systemic problems that led to a series of animal deaths and safety breaches.

The death of a capybara, crushed by a hydraulic gate in 2009, was the last in a string of events that convinced zoo officials to invite the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Washington, D.C.-based Association of Zoos and Aquariums to conduct an independent review.

Zoo officials have been studying a joint report from the two bodies since they received it on June 9.

Zoo president and CEO Clément Lanthier said the zoo's plan will focus on:

• Improving animal care procedures and collection planning.
• Addressing staffing problems such as training and structure.
• Enhancing security systems and safety drills.
• Upgrading aging zoo infrastructure.

Several changes have already taken place in anticipation of the review's findings, Lanthier added Thursday. The zoo has also revamped its emergency drill program.

Dangerous animals — such as cats and elephants — are now kept indoors at night. Animal keeper tasks have been re-organized, and the animal care department has been overhauled with new lines of supervision as the search continues for a permanent replacement for a head curator.

The Calgary Zoo saw 214 deaths and 202 births in 2009, said Lanthier.

"But of those animals who have died in 2009, five were attributed to human error. So we believe this number is too high and our action plan aims to reduce that number," he said.

The report said the zoo's "collection appears to be healthy and well-cared for."

But in its key findings, the report said there are "underlying systemic issues that are contributing to animal mortality and accidents. As such, animal care is compromised at this time."

'The public should look more critically at the industry in total.'—Julie Woodyer, Zoocheck Canada

While the death of the capybara — a large South American rodent — was due to a keeper not following protocols, "it is highly unusual to manage this species with hydraulic gates," the report added.

Julie Woodyer with animal rights group Zoocheck Canada said the report confirms what her group has been saying for years.

"These problems are widespread and systemic throughout the entire zoo," she told CBC News. "The public should look more critically at the industry in total. They should understand that what they are being told is mostly whitewash."

Woodyer said Lanthier should step down and the zoo's accreditation be revoked until its animal-care record improves.

Low staff morale

The report also concluded:

• Animal care staff is overstretched, insufficiently trained and suffering from low morale.
• Financial challenges are leading to deferred infrastructure maintenance on old facilities, even while newer projects are going ahead.
• Security on the zoo grounds is inadequate, especially at night, partly because some perimeter fences are in disrepair.

Lanthier said while it will take 12 months to implement the entire plan, some changes have already been made.

Animal deaths

In the past few years, numerous animals have died at the Calgary Zoo, including a baby elephant, a hippo, a wild goat, four gorillas and 41 stingrays.

Shana, a male gorilla, reached the perimeter fence of its enclosure in March. (Calgary Zoo)

In February, two non-poisonous snakes escaped into a drain left open by a zookeeper. They were later found just below the drain in their enclosure.

A zookeeper was suspended in March for failing to properly secure an outdoor gorilla enclosure after one of the apes was able to reach the perimeter fence, perching on it briefly before jumping back down. Accumulated ice in the enclosure's moat had given the gorilla a jumping-off point.

The zoo's head curator and director of conservation and research, Cathy Gaviller, resigned a few days after the gorilla's near-escape.

Last June, zoo officials were also on the defensive after a visitor took pictures of a gorilla holding up a knife that had been accidentally left behind when the exhibit was being cleaned. A zookeeper retrieved the knife.