AKRON, Ohio (WJW) – The Akron Zoo is investigating what led to a Komodo dragon assault at its facility.

The incident occurred on March 3 within the “Komodo Kingdom worker service space,” in accordance with a press launch.

A workers member acquired a number of chunk wounds from a Komodo dragon named Padar, the Ohio zoo stated.

The zoo’s different Komodo dragon, Jasper, the smaller of the 2 lizards, was additionally harm and is recovering, the zoo stated, including that Jasper was not concerned within the workers member’s accidents.

“Security is, and can stay, the utmost precedence for our workers, guests and animals,” the zoo press launch states.

The Occupational Well being and Security Administration, which is working with the zoo to assessment the incident, stated the 2 male Komodo dragons “unintentionally entered the identical cage and attacked one another.”

OSHA stated the worker tried to intervene and was harm by the bigger lizard. The worker was rapidly given first assist.

“Our chief concern is for our valued crew member, who’s presently recovering at residence. We’ll replace as extra data is offered, in step with privateness necessities and Federal regulation. We additionally need to honor our worker’s privateness, so we’re offering no different particulars presently,” a press launch states.

In an replace, the zoo stated OSHA discovered no employer violations of security requirements.

OSHA stated in a press release: “OSHA initiated an investigation into the incident and evaluated the zoo’s written procedures, coaching program, and private protecting gear necessities associated to the care of Komodo Dragons. OSHA didn’t determine any deficiencies within the data supplied by the Akron Zoo.”

It added, “The zoo was attentive to OSHA’s inquiry into this incident and has deliberate intensive follow-up coaching for affected workers.”

The Akron Zoo has two Komodo dragons, each males, in accordance with its web site. Padar was born on Aug. 6, 2011, and Jasper was born on Aug. 4, 2019.

Komodo dragons, the biggest lizards on the planet, are solitary creatures. When it introduced the addition of Jasper, the zoo famous that the 2 males could be within the habitat individually.

“They’re extraordinarily clever. They reside in a really localized area of interest in Indonesia and a number of the islands, the place they’re protected. They’ll get fairly huge, they will get 10 foot, 150 plus kilos and they’re a predator,” an Akron space unique animal veterinarian informed Nexstar’s WJW.

Based on the Smithsonian’s Nationwide Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, bigger Komodos are recognized to “cannibalize younger ones.” The Nationwide Zoo stated, “They spend a lot of the primary few years residing in bushes, the place bigger Komodo dragons can not attain them.”

The Nationwide Zoo additionally stated a Komodo dragon assault may be deadly to people.

They use sharp, curved tooth and claws to slash and tear at their prey and might trigger wounds to grow to be septic from venom and micro organism.

Komodo dragons can attain as much as 10 ft in size and might weigh as much as 300 kilos. 

On Tuesday, Padar was out for the general public to see within the zoo’s the Komodo Kingdom.