Equipment Malfunction Blamed For Death Of Young African Painted Dog At Zoo Miami

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Zoo Miami officials announced the tragic death of a young African painted dog on Monday morning.

The death of the puppy was caused by equipment failure that led to a door collapsing on the animal, zoo officials said.

Officials said the animal was killed instantly.

The female puppy was one of five puppies born on January 23, 2019.

There was one male and four female puppies.

Zoo officials said the death happened when a cable that supported a solid metal guillotine door separated and the door then fell on the animal killing her instantly.

These doors are used in zoo holding areas and consist of a series of enclosures that are connected by a system of hallways.

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Officials said a thorough investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the failure.