Metro leaders say Oregon Zoo dismissals tied to January death of orangutan

Leaders of Metro, the regional government that oversees the Oregon Zoo, said Thursday that this week's dismissal of the zoo director and senior veterinarian are related to
the January death of
, a 20-year-old orangutan.
"Every day our goal is to uphold high standards for accountability and integrity when it comes to animal care. Information came to our attention that raised questions about whether these standards were met in relation to the death of the zoo’s Sumatran orangutan Kutai," Metro officials said in a written statement. 
"We conducted a careful investigation of the circumstances surrounding Kutai’s death and concluded mistakes were made and important information was not fully disclosed
." 

Zoo director Kimberly Smith and veterinarian Mitch Finnegan were both summoned to Metro's Northeast Portland office Monday and fired. Finnegan has said his dismissal came without much explanation beyond a lack of confidence "in my ability to lead the veterinary department."

Metro officials had said they could not talk about the firings because they were personnel matters. But in Thursday's statement, they said Smith and Finnegan were dismissed after an investigation into the orangutan's death found the following:

"* Standard operating procedures and best practices were not followed.

* Lapses in procedure and protocols were tolerated.

* There was a lack of trust regarding the accuracy of reports and whether important facts regarding animal care were omitted."

Kutai, a 20-year-old Sumatran orangutan in Portland since 2001, showed a decrease in appetite and activity in December 2013, which prompted zookeepers to put him on antibiotics and perform surgery to close air sacs along the sides of his neck that they believed might have been the cause of an infection. 
Kutai seemed to be recovering following that first surgery, zoo officials said at the time, but a few days later became lethargic again. Blood tests showed that Kutai was anemic, and 
veterinarians operated again on Jan. 4.

The zoo press release announcing Kutai's death said the orangutan made it through surgery and died after being returned to the primate area.

Metro officials did not offer any additional details about Kutai's death Thursday, or explain what in the account given at the time by zoo leaders might have been inaccurate or incomplete. 

Smith was hired to run the zoo in 2010, after Metro auditors recommended stronger oversight over zoo construction projects. Finnegan, lauded by animal doctors elsewhere as one of the best zoo veterinarians in the country, worked at the Oregon Zoo for more than 20 years.

Teri Dresler, the general manager of visitor venues for Metro, will serve as interim director of the zoo until a permanent one is named.

Here's the full statement from Metro:

-- Anna Griffin

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