Blue Zoo faces allegations of 'cruel interactions,' suspends exhibits after bamboo shark bite

A West Des Moines aquarium is facing calls to shut down after it euthanized a shark that bit an employee earlier this week.

Blue Zoo, a for-profit aquarium, has been open in the Villages at Jordan Creek Town Center since May. The euthanized shark is at least the second animal to die at the facility since it opened, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Humane Society of the United States is calling for the investigation and closure of Blue Zoo.

"Now the facility has done the impossible by adding Iowa to the list of shark bite incidents," said Preston Moore, the Iowa state director of the Humane Society of the U.S., in a statement

How did a shark bite an employee at West Des Moines' Blue Zoo aquarium?

The incident started Monday when a member of the saltwater husbandry team was transporting an 18-inch bamboo shark who was showing signs of distress.

The husbandry leader immediately started resuscitation efforts to aid the shark, according to a statement from Blue Zoo. It was then moved to a larger tank for further assistance as it began to recover.

The shark became startled as it began to regain strength. It latched onto the skin of the husbandry team member's hand between her thumb and forefinger, according to the statement from Blue Zoo. The bamboo shark refused to release the employee's hand despite the team's multiple attempts to open its mouth.

The aquarium called paramedics, who also were unable to open the shark's mouth. This forced the team to euthanize the shark, according to the statement, according to Blue Zoo's statement.

How did Blue Zoo respond after shark bite incident?

Dylan Claypool, manager of Blue Zoo in West Des Moines, told KCCI the aquarium is rethinking whether employees should get in the water with the sharks

"We needed to get the husbandry team out of the water," Claypool told KCCI recalling the incident. "And in doing so, the decision had to be made to humanely euthanize the animal so that way she could be taken to the hospital."

The Blue Zoo team member went to hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and has since returned to work, Claypool told KCCI.

Blue Zoo will now wear gloves to prevent future incidents, according to the aquarium's statement.

"Our team would appreciate all the prayers, good thoughts, and kind words as we navigate this heartbreaking time," according to the statement from Blue Zoo.

Humane Society alleges Blue Zoo pushes 'cruel interactions with stressed wild animals'

The Humane Society said since this isn't the first animal welfare issue at the aquarium that Blue Zoo should be forced to close. It called on the city of West Des Moines to order the aquarium to close and for a police investigation. The Des Moines Register contacted the city of West Des Moines, and a spokesperson said there is no criminal investigation taking place.

“We were horrified, but not surprised, about this tragic event at Blue Zoo," according to the statement from Moore. "This pathetic roadside zoo pads its bottom line by pushing cruel interactions with stressed wild animals who are treated like disposable toys."

Some of the aquarium's exhibits are closed this week due to the incident, according a post on Facebook. But, Blue Zoo's mission to continue offering hand-on experiences with aquatic creatures won't change, said Jessica McQueen, the social media director for Blue Zoo.

"Blue Zoo remains dedicated to its mission of providing conservation through education and interaction with wildlife," McQueen told the Register in an email. "We hope to continue to provide a fun place for parents and children to bond over these amazing animals. We are committed to providing the residents and visitors to Des Moines a safe place to engage and learn about reptiles, birds and sea life."

USDA raised prior concerns about animal care at West Des Moines Blue Zoo

The West Des Moines Blue Zoo has a "bird forest" with hundreds of parakeets, a reptile habitat with tortoises, lizards and frogs, and an "Under Sea Sanctuary" that acts as a sensory room.

Roughly a week after Blue Zoo opened in May of this year, a USDA Animal Inspection Report said the for-profit interactive aquarium improperly handed animals.

On May 22, one day after Blue Zoo opened, a patron killed a bird in the interactive parakeet enclosure, according to the report. The patron, who was a small child, jumped off their mother's lap and landed on the bird, which was on the floor.

The enclosure housed almost 300 parakeets, the report said. Groups entering the enclosure were reminded by Blue Zoo staff to shuffle their feet as they walked. A USDA inspector, who visited the facility on May 31, observed that small children often failed to do so. Birds were seen under patrons' shoes while looking for seeds to eat, he reported.

"We worked with the USDA to work on additional steps we could take to minimize the possibility of that ever happening again," Claypool told KCCI. A follow-up inspection by the USDA on June 13 found no issues with animal handling.

The USDA recommended improving animal care protocols and staff training to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future, McQueen told the Register.

Blue Zoo is not accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Blue Zoo does report to the Iowa Fish and Wild Life as well as the USDA, Claypool told KCCI. There are other Blue Zoo locations in Oklahoma, Washington, Louisiana and Arkansas.

The shark was the first animal that had to be euthanized at the location, according to WHO. Blue Zoo did not answer how many animals had died at the aquarium since opening, according to WHO.

“While we understand the concern, this is an isolated incident that we are addressing. We are implementing procedures and policies to ensure this does not happen in the future,” a Blue Zoo spokesperson wrote to WHO.

Will sharks continue to be on exhibit at Blue Zoo in West Des Moines after one bit an employee?

Blue Zoo posted to its Facebook on Tuesday that the team decided to cancel all stingray experience shows, shark feeding shows and dive shows due to Monday's incident. The cancellation is for this week, according to Blue Zoo's Facebook.

"We are so sorry for any inconvenience this causes your family," Blue Zoo's Facebook post stated.

Sharks swim in the bottom of the stingray touch pool at the facility. Blue Zoo does not encourage or allow patrons to touch any sharks at the exhibit. Education team members are stationed at the pools to ensure guests know they can only feed the stingrays, McQueen told the Register.

"We plan to continue offering shark exhibits as a way to educate and inspire our visitors while providing a fun and engaging environment for families to connect with these incredible animals," McQueen wrote in an email to the Register.

Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Is Blue Zoo 'cruel' or a place to 'bond'? Shark bite ignites debate