CRIME / TT A zookeeper at Kolmården was killed by wolves. Now the zoo and a former director are being prosecuted on suspicion of causing someone else’s death. Kolmården did not consider that wolves are dangerous animals, according to the indictment.
A female zookeeper was killed in summer 2012 when she went to eight wolves in the wolf enclosure at Kolmården Zoo. Nearly four years after the event charges have been brought and now a prosecution has been initiated.
The company that runs the zoo and a former chief suspected of workplace crimes including manslaughter. The previous manager had responsibility for the work in and the wolf enclosure. The offense is deemed aggravated.
“The upper-level boss has committed crimes of misconduct of a serious nature,” says prosecutor Jan-Olof Andersson.
The zookeeper, who was in her 30s, had known the wolves since they were puppies and was alone in the shelter when she was killed.
The zoo and the manager had failed to check whether there were risks at work, according to the prosecutor. The staff has found it difficult to escape the enclosure and a functioning alarm has been lacking.
Kolmården did not consider that the wolf is a dangerous animal, according to the contingency plan concerning the escape of dangerous animals indictment refers. This despite the fact that it has now accused the head in October 2011 should have received information about an incident where a person was injured by a bite from a wolf.
“There have been past incidents and incident reports where there are examples of customers who have been injured and that staff have felt threatened,” says Jan-Olof Andersson.
The company should have acted on the events, according to the prosecutor.
“When this is not done, there is a conscious risk-taking,” says Jan-Olof Andersson.
The evidence consists among other things of interviews with other employees of the zoo.
The former head risks at most up to six years in prison. The company could be responsible four million SEK in fines. Both the zoo and the accused chief deny the crimes.