Death of zoo keeper by Tiger.

[The Clamp]

Sad to hear of her death but when will people learn it doesn't matter how "passionate" you are about big cats, humans are simply not meant to mingle with them even in captivity. They are huge, apex predators.
Not many details but it says "a tiger entered the enclosure she was in". How? Must be human error. I'd be more careful than that around tigers!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-40089174

 

[Sussex Nomad]

So long as they don't 'punish' the tiger for it.

 

[The Clamp]

Apparently the tiger is fine and it looks like they had plenty of chances to shoot it while the incident was happening.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Apparently the tiger is fine ....

Good.

 

[Goldstone1976]

I knew Rosa - both socially and from occasional visits to Hamerton. Spent some time yesterday afternoon/evening with two of her keeper colleagues/friends, who were both severely traumatised by what they had witnessed. What a dreadful experience for all concerned. RIP Rosa.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

I knew Rosa - both socially and from occasional visits to Hamerton. Spent some time yesterday afternoon/evening with two of her keeper colleagues/friends, who were both severely traumatised by what they had witnessed. What a dreadful experience for all concerned. RIP Rosa.

I can't imagine how awful this would have been. In the past they would kill the animal for doing it. I am glad that doesn't happen any more. Sorry for your personal loss however.

 

[drew]

Sad to hear of her death but when will people learn it doesn't matter how "passionate" you are about big cats, humans are simply not meant to mingle with them even in captivity. They are huge, apex predators.
Not many details but it says "a tiger entered the enclosure she was in". How? Must be human error. I'd be more careful than that around tigers!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-40089174

This seems a poorly worded post. You make it sound like she was intending to 'mingle' with the tiger rather than, as reported, this being a freak accident, ie the Tiger somehow got into the enclosure when it shouldn't have been there.

Sad situation for all concerned.

 

[Vicar!]

Very sad! Used to work at a Falconry. Animal keeping isn't a glamour job most of the time.

 

[The Clamp]

Yes, apologies for my wording and sorry for your loss.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

I can't imagine how awful this would have been. In the past they would kill the animal for doing it. I am glad that doesn't happen any more.

On the news report this morning, they mentioned other wild animal / human zoo incidents. They mentioned a 3-year old child that fell in to a Gorilla enclosure, in the States I think - the Gorilla came over to the child but made no attempt to touch it [attack] but they shot the Gorilla dead on the grounds of better safe than sorry. I have no idea if this was the correct decision but I've watched some primate programmes [Monkey World] where the ape-species do show caring / family protection trends. I would question if shooting the animal just in case was the most appropriate.

As others have said - Tigers are and will always be dangerous animals, all precautions should be taken - looks like something has gone terribly wrong for this to have happened. H&E investigation underway ....

RIP Rosa

 

[dazzer6666]

On the news report this morning, they mentioned other wild animal / human zoo incidents. They mentioned a 3-year old child that fell in to a Gorilla enclosure, in the States I think - the Gorilla came over to the child but made no attempt to touch it [attack] but they shot the Gorilla dead on the grounds of better safe than sorry. I have no idea if this was the correct decision but I've watched some primate programmes [Monkey World] where the ape-species do show caring / family protection trends. I would question if shooting the animal just in case was the most appropriate.

As others have said - Tigers are and will always be dangerous animals, all precautions should be taken - looks like something has gone terribly wrong for this to have happened. H&E investigation underway ....

RIP Rosa

Echoes of the incident in Jersey in 1986 when a kid fell into the Gorilla enclosure - the huge Silverback (Jambo ?) stood over the child to keep all the others off, stroked the unconscious kid and only backed off when he woke up and started to cry - he led the other gorillas into the housing unit so the keepers could take him out.

Very sad news - I think the keepers all know the risk though, and none of them would want anything to happen to the animals even after an incident like this. I've done a couple of 'keeper experience' days and the passion the keepers show is immense.

 

[Coach_Carter_92]

I think the shooting first policy in the states is due to the recent Harambe incident

 

[Badger]

I think the shooting first policy in the states is due to the recent Harambe incident

It's the States, so the shooting first policy doesn't just apply to animals.


As has been said, this is a very sad incident and my thoughts go out to those that knew Rosa. I wonder what the circumstances are, perhaps some miscommunication.

 

[dangull]

Very sad what happened. I know a tiger is a tiger, but even so, you would think a captive tiger might have some empathy to its owner, similar to your pet cat which seems pleased to see you when you get home from work ect and not only because it knows it will be fed soon.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Animals should only ever be in captivity for the purposes of conserving dangerous species, never for humans to gawp at. The general nature of zoos is that enclosures are relatively small, and certainly in relation to the animals natural territories, so that they aren't concealed from the paying public. In the wild elephants can roam up to 50km per day and their territories extend to 11,000km square km.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Animals should only ever be in captivity for the purposes of conserving dangerous species, never for humans to gawp at. The general nature of zoos is that enclosures are relatively small, and certainly in relation to the animals natural territories, so that they aren't concealed from the paying public. In the wild elephants can roam up to 50km per day and their territories extend to 11,000km square km.

I agree with all of this. However we are quickly killing the planet imo and conservation seems less important unless we take drastic action very soon as living as nature intended will not be possible in any case.

 

[symyjym]

Animals should only ever be in captivity for the purposes of conserving dangerous species, never for humans to gawp at. The general nature of zoos is that enclosures are relatively small, and certainly in relation to the animals natural territories, so that they aren't concealed from the paying public. In the wild elephants can roam up to 50km per day and their territories extend to 11,000km square km.

To be fair if I was a chimpanzee and I had the option of jungle or Monkey World, I would choose the latter.

 

[easynow]

Very sad what happened. I know a tiger is a tiger, but even so, you would think a captive tiger might have some empathy to its owner, similar to your pet cat which seems pleased to see you when you get home from work ect and not only because it knows it will be fed soon.

No matter how much respect there is between the tigers and keepers, we should always keep mind that their brains are wired to roam freely in large open territories where they live recluse lives, so it must be frustrating and very confusing to be restricted to their enclosures. Also, I think I am right in saying that most wild cats in zoos are orphans, so who knows what this tiger may have witnessed; humans killing the mother etc. I am all for the good that zoo conservation brings, but we should never be surprised when these tragic events happen.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

I agree with all of this. However we are quickly killing the planet imo and conservation seems less important unless we take drastic action very soon as living as nature intended will not be possible in any case.

Actually that should have read 'endangered' not 'dangerous'! Bloody autocorrect!

 

[Sussex Nomad]

On the news report this morning, they mentioned other wild animal / human zoo incidents. They mentioned a 3-year old child that fell in to a Gorilla enclosure, in the States I think - the Gorilla came over to the child but made no attempt to touch it [attack] but they shot the Gorilla dead on the grounds of better safe than sorry. I have no idea if this was the correct decision but I've watched some primate programmes [Monkey World] where the ape-species do show caring / family protection trends. I would question if shooting the animal just in case was the most appropriate.

As others have said - Tigers are and will always be dangerous animals, all precautions should be taken - looks like something has gone terribly wrong for this to have happened. H&E investigation underway ....

RIP Rosa

I remember that, absolutely broke my heart that they killed the Gorilla.