The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden reports a staff member is recovering after being bitten by a bonobo. The bite resulted in the partial amputation of the person's thumb.
"During [Friday] morning rounds, a bonobo bit a care team member’s thumb through a protective mesh barrier while the care team member was administering medication and food to the bonobo troop," the Zoo said in a statement Friday afternoon.
According to the statement, the incident happened in a behind-the-scenes area and no other staff, guests, or animals were harmed or involved.
The Jungle Trails habitat where the bonobos reside was closed Friday.
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The Zoo says it's investigating what led to the incident.
"Bonobos are highly intelligent and social primates, and interactions with them involve established protocols and safety procedures," the Zoo states. "At no time were the bonobos outside their habitat and per Zoo policy, animal care staff and great apes do not occupy shared spaces."
The incident comes almost exactly one year after a Cincinnati Zoo employee was bitten by an eastern diamondback rattlesnake. That incident also happened in a behind-the-scenes area, and the Zoo said no guests were at risk then either.
According to a Zoo official at that time, no anti-venom was needed and the employee's prognosis was good.
