An endangered gibbon living at a South Coast zoo died as the result of an accident. The head of a white handed gibbon named "Jari" became entangled in a net in her enclosure at the Santa Barbara Zoo.
The gibbon was just over five years old. She came to Santa Barbara from a zoo in Jackson, Mississippi. The gibbons are native to Asia.
Zoo officials say the net was a type commonly placed in enclosures to give primates a climbing activity. They are similar to so-called "cargo nets" used by people.
When keepers found the gibbon in the net Thursday morning, she was rushed to the zoo's animal hospital, but efforts to revive her were unsuccessful. Zoo officials say they will send reports on the accident to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which oversee zoo animals.