Death of zoo keeper by Tiger.

[GT49er]

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.

Remember that. There was some amazing TV footage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-CMxMv34_A

 

[GT49er]

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.

Tigers have a bit of a record for this - they've killed quite a few zoo-keepers over the years - four cases in England that I can remember.

 

[AZ Gull]

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.

Remember that. There was some amazing TV footage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-CMxMv34_A

I must admit, I have no recollection of that incident from the time. However, having googled it, the lad was from Horsham - EXCLUSIVE - My guardian gorilla angel

 

[sir albion]

Very sad news indeed and clearly wether born in captivity or not they never lose their killer instinct.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

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 a degree, I concur - however zoo's do a fantastic job in promoting interest in wildlife and animals, and getting people caring. To want to conserve an animal you have to care about it first and zoos are key in that. I work in conservation because I used to spend days at London Zoo and fell in love with animals, and I trace everything back to that.

 

[The Clamp]

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.

Whilst all wild animals do require a certain amount of space, in their natural environment the soul reason they roam large areas is because it offers them a greater chance of finding food and mating. In captivity both these are provided for and so in general animals won't get wanderlust as long as their life is enriched and they are kept stimulated.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

To a degree, I concur - however zoo's do a fantastic job in promoting interest in wildlife and animals, and getting people caring. To want to conserve an animal you have to care about it first and zoos are key in that. I work in conservation because I used to spend days at London Zoo and fell in love with animals, and I trace everything back to that.

It's obviously not black and white, as things never are, but the sight of a large bear in a tiny concrete enclosure in an American zoo always stayed with me, just sitting there rocking back and forth.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Whilst all wild animals do require a certain amount of space, in their natural environment the soul reason they roam large areas is because it offers them a greater chance of finding food and mating. In captivity both these are provided for and so in general animals won't get wanderlust as long as their life is enriched and they are kept stimulated.

It's what the animals would want deep down TC, captivity. I guess the human equivalent is the Big Brother House and we'd all like to live there for the rest of our lives I'm sure - food, gym facilities, sex and an outdoor space all provided, perfect.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

It's obviously not black and white, as things never are, but the sight of a large bear in a tiny concrete enclosure in an American zoo always stayed with me, just sitting there rocking back and forth.

I never forget a polar bear in similar surroundings at Chessington zoo, completely wrong.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Remember that. There was some amazing TV footage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-CMxMv34_A

The charging of the young male gorilla has real visual similarity to that other rare low IQ slightly deranged creature, the football hooligan.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Very sad news indeed and clearly wether born in captivity or not they never lose their killer instinct.

....and neither do certain breeds of dogs, now popularised in this country as status symbols for the mentally challenged, that will continue to attack babies and young children and in many cases, kill them.
Will common sense ever prevail?.

 

[Mr Putdown]

[

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.

If that is the incident involving Harambe (gorilla in the states, shot dead, 3 year old child) then he certainly more than touched the child. I saw an unedited version of the footage and he was vigoursly swinging the child around by one arm in a very frightening manner as he ran along.

Dreadful incident mind.

This isn't the footage I referred to but it clearly shows the gorilla's actions would have concerned anyone.

 

[sir albion]

....and neither do certain breeds of dogs, now popularised in this country as status symbols for the mentally challenged, that will continue to attack babies and young children and in many cases, kill them.
Will common sense ever prevail?.

Depends as one is a apex predator and one is a household pet.....Get your point although common sense will never prevail sadly

 

[cloud]

Very sad news indeed and clearly wether born in captivity or not they never lose their killer instinct.

To have a pet wolf it needs to have been kept in captivity for three generations, so there may be an element of losing the killer instinct over time

 

[sir albion]

To have a pet wolf it needs to have been kept in captivity for three generations, so there may be an element of losing the killer instinct over time

It's in The genes me old mucker

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Very sad news indeed and clearly wether born in captivity or not they never lose their killer instinct.

The were talking about this on the radio and had an expert there who says that zoo's no longer just throw out lumps of meat for their tigers but make them actively search for their food, sometimes it's hidden, other times it's suspended from the roof, and so on. Just maybe, as a result of this practice as part of their animal welfare programs, it may influenced the tiger to believe that this was food and to be hunted?

A very sad incident, RIP

 

[dangull]

My pet cat loves me.

It waits for me to give it food, trying to trip me up sometimes to remind me.

It sometimes jumps on me to use as a human bed.

If I died it will try to eat me.

Dogs are mans best friends, cats treat us as servants...

 

[El Presidente]

I thought he'd just been done for DUI?