Chimpanzee Bites Indianapolis Zoo Leader During Feeding

The Indianapolis Zoo confirmed that its president and CEO, Dr. Rob Shumaker, was injured while feeding a chimpanzee.

Shumaker was bitten on the tip of his finger and received medical attention.

A Reddit post claimed the incident occurred after-hours when Shumaker was "handfeeding inappropriate foods to one of the chimpanzees, Edith (a 59-year-old female)." The post stated that the chimpanzee "bit his finger hard enough to separate it from his hand."

The zoo's statement does not corroborate this claim.

The zoo said the chimpanzee has no ill-effects from the bite.

A previous incident involving an orangutan named Rocky, who shattered bones in Shumaker's finger during an interaction, was also reported on Reddit. The post claimed that Shumaker "completely covered it up" and that the incident was downplayed and not reported properly.

The incident was reported to the necessary bodies including the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, zoo staff, and the zoo's board chair.

“Indianapolis Zoo President & CEO Dr. Rob Shumaker sustained an injury while feeding a chimpanzee through a mesh barrier last week. The tip of Dr. Shumaker’s finger was bitten, and he received medical attention for the wound. Dr. Shumaker has recovered, and the chimpanzee has no ill-effects. The incident was reported to the zoo’s accrediting body, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and was reported internally to relevant staff and to the zoo’s board chair. Dr. Shumaker is a primatologist who has spent his career researching and interacting with great apes and the incident occurred during a standard feeding interaction.”

“Hey everyone, this is a throwaway account because I’m worried about potential retaliation, but I really need to share something that happened at my job and get some advice.

“I’m an employee at the Indianapolis Zoo, and this past Friday, the zoo’s president, Dr. Rob Shumaker, was handfeeding inappropriate foods to one of the chimpanzees, Edith (a 59-year-old female). The incident happened after hours, and while his hand was in contact with Edith, she bit his finger hard enough to separate it from his hand.

“What really has me concerned is that this isn’t the first time Dr. Shumaker has been involved in questionable behavior when it comes to animal handling and injuries. A few years ago, an orangutan named Rocky shattered bones in Dr. Shumaker’s finger during an interaction, and he completely covered it up. I know for a fact that the incident was downplayed and not reported the way it should have been.

“I’m really torn about what to do here. These animals deserve to be treated with respect and care, and I’m worried that if these kinds of things keep happening, someone could get seriously hurt or worse, and the public may never know. Dr. Shumaker seems to be sweeping these issues under the rug, and I don’t think it’s just about the safety of the staff—this kind of behavior could be harmful to the animals too.

“Is there anything I can do to stop him from continuing this kind of behavior? How do I report something like this when I’m scared of retaliation?

“Also, is there any chance there are investigative journalists out there who would be interested in looking into this story? I just don’t know who else to turn to.

“Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks for reading.

“TL;DR: The Indianapolis Zoo president, Dr. Shumaker, was injured by a chimpanzee after feeding her improper food. He’s covered up past incidents. How can I report this safely?”