HSE probe into tapir attack after zoo silence

The Health and Safety Authority has launched a fresh investigation into security measures at Dublin Zoo after a tapir attacked a child.

A spokesperson for the authority confirmed it has taken over from the zoo’s own internal inquiry, which was due to conclude last week but has now been postponed indefinitely.

The probe is likely to focus on whether the zoo or the trainer involved in the incident met their responsibilities to ensure the safety of both staff and the public.

It is expected to be carried out under workplace legislation enacted in 2005.

While the inquiry’s findings will be used to improve zoo training and security, the HSA declined to clarify whether the report will recommend any disciplinary action or fines.

A two-year-old girl was mauled by an adult female tapir at Dublin Zoo on Aug 8.

The girl and her mother had been allowed to enter the tapir’s enclosure as part of an up-close encounter with the Brazilian animal and its weeks-old calf.

The girl suffered severe injuries, including muscles torn from her arm, a deep 6in stomach wound, and internal complications.

She underwent a number of emergency surgeries that evening and spent more than a week recuperating at Temple Street Children’s University Hospital.

Her mother, who suffered injuries while trying to protect her child, was treated at the Mater Hospital for a number of days.

The zoo has failed to confirm whether the family signed a waiver or health and safety form before entering the enclosure.