26 Responses to “Lists of Zoo Incidents: Dangling Feet & Trails of Blood”

1. olejason responds: December 27th, 2007 at 10:10 am

   “Aug. 7, 2002: A catwalk over a shark tank collapses at New Orleans’ Aquarium of the Americas, throwing 10 visitors into the water. The 10, including four children, thrash around in terror for up to 15 minutes with the sharks swimming beneath their kicking feet before they were pulled out. No one is seriously hurt.”

   Sharks are probably the least dangerous animal listed above but probably the scariest to the average person.

   The primate attacks freak me out, especially chimps. It seems like they go for maximum bodily damage and it’s not about predation like with a big cat.

2. Richard888 responds: December 27th, 2007 at 11:05 am

   olejason:
   It’s just that primates are immensly strong. A chimp is said to have the strenth of 5 adult men and a silverback gorilla the strength of 8 to 20. A small monkey’s grip can crush your hand.

3. Alton Higgins responds: December 27th, 2007 at 12:11 pm

   Here’s another report regarding an attack here at the Oklahoma City Zoo. The keeper’s arm was bitten off by a Malayan tapir.

   Oklahoma zoo animal bites off keeper’s arm

   November 20, 1998

   OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A large, hoglike animal called a tapir pulled a zoo keeper into its cage and bit her arm off as she went to feed the animal Friday morning.

   Lisa Morehead, who also suffered facial injuries and a punctured lung, was in critical condition and underwent surgery after the attack at the Oklahoma City Zoo.

   The arm was detached about the mid-biceps level, said Allen Poston, a University Hospital spokesman. The arm was too mangled and contaminated to be reattached, Poston said.

   Zoo officials aren’t certain why the Malayan tapir named Melody attacked the keeper, who was feeding the animal before the zoo opened. The tapir’s 2-month-old baby was also in the cage.

   Zoo director Steve Wylie said Ms. Morehead, 34, was pushing food through a small door into a holding area when Melody grabbed her by the arm and jerked her through the 2-foot-wide opening.

   “The baby was between Lisa and the mother,” he said. “From what we can tell, it would be the usual scenario of mothers protecting their young.”

   A grounds worker ran for help, and a group of employees dragged the keeper from the cage.

   A tapir is piglike in appearance and about the size of a donkey. It is related to the horse and rhinoceros. Tapirs browse on twigs and are herbivores.

   The animal, which can weigh several hundred pounds, is found in the jungles of Central and South America and Southeast Asia.

   The tapir will remain on display at the zoo.

4. shamner responds: December 27th, 2007 at 12:45 pm

   LSU’s live royal bengal tiger Mike IV, was released from his cage on November 28, 1981 when pranksters cut the locks on his cage. The tiger roamed freely for hours, attacked a small tree, and appeared to be enjoying himself before becoming trapped in the Track Stadium near his cage. Three tranquilizer shots later, the wandering mascot was returned to his home without further incident. Mike IV served as LSU’s mascot from 1976-1990. He died in 1995 of old age.

5. kittenz responds: December 27th, 2007 at 1:17 pm

   Note that nearly all the incidents involving members of the zoogoing public begin with “(the person) went past a barrier”, “reached into a cage”, or “was being photographed with”.

   All zoos, no matter how good they are, have problems. A really good zoo works hard to keep problems to a minimum and to correct them wherever possible. Most incidents during which a person is injured or killed are caused by negligence or human stupidity - such as allowing people to have photographs taken with dangerous animals, or drunken idiots climbing into cages.

   I love zoos (good ones). They are very necessary. People will support conservation efforts if they can see animals “in person”; it allows them to relate to animals in a way that is just not possible any other way. A good zoo is a wonderful educational facility.

   (I agree, olejason, the primate attacks seem to go beyond simple predatory or reactive behavior. Primates who “go over the edge” seem to really have it in for people. It’s as though they want to … I dunno … erase the person, not just hurt them.)

6. Bob Michaels responds: December 27th, 2007 at 1:22 pm

   The Bronx Zoo’s Tiger Island has great security. You can see their statement in today’s New York Post.

7. kittenz responds: December 27th, 2007 at 1:25 pm

   While I was in Florida at the end of October, I visited the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville. The garden is a large park/arboretum, with lots of ponds and streams and a small lake.

   One of the groundskeepers there was cleaning water hyacinth out of a pond, and a gator - there are several wild ones present in the park - came up out of the pond and just took the guy’s arm off at the elbow. They were unable to recover the forearm. The guy was back at work, but with a bandaged stump.

8. shumway10973 responds: December 27th, 2007 at 2:02 pm

   That’s why I like the idea of a game preserve better. The animals get to be themselves while the humans are kept contained thru the tour. People are stupid. Did ya’ll realize that there have to be signs in YellowStone that say, “Don’t hand your children to the bears”, or something along those lines. People have been trying to get their children as close to the wild bears as possible for the “cute” picture. Humans without any wildlife training don’t deserve to be in it without major supervising. Zoos need to just make the fences higher around the people trails and give the animals more room to move around in.

9. Tengu responds: December 27th, 2007 at 2:23 pm

   We have safari parks here and they seem very safe (I don’t know how many incidents they have had, perhaps they cover them up?)

   But I did see a boy get chomped by a sea lion he got too close to once.

10. squatch-toba responds: December 27th, 2007 at 2:23 pm

    At Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, we have one of the most successful Snow Leopard breeding programs in the world, as well as Siberian Tigers, Cougars, Lynx etc. I have never heard of any problems with these cats as far as physical attacks are concerned. I do remember many years ago, while visiting the Zoo with my oldest son when he was a young boy (3 or so), a Leopard was seemingly very aggressive towards my son’s red jacket. The cat would run up to the edge of the cage and snarl and hiss! My son was in a stroller so it was not a case of teasing or anything of that nature, just strange aggression. I guess my point is that something set that Tiger off, maybe teasing, or some one just too close, who knows? Just sad that the animal was pushed to the point it was and disaster followed.

11. squatchwatcher responds: December 27th, 2007 at 2:37 pm

    I agree with the statement that people are stupid. That’s why I never let my kids take pictures with the lions or tigers at the circus. I don’t even let them ride the elephants, you just never know how much abuse those poor animals have suffered at the hands of their human trainers. I know I’m being cold hearted when I say that the idiots who climbed over fences or got to close to the enclosures deserved what they got but that’s just me.

12. Gary the Cat responds: December 27th, 2007 at 3:31 pm

    Yeah-so the truth starts to become clear-3 over-hormoned teens provoke a wild animal trying to be clever.

    Shame the cat had to die for their idiocy.

    Even a pet dog can go beserk and rip you up-it happened to me in an unprovoked attack-you never ever let your guard down, especially around wild animals.

    Too many people ascribe human emotions to animals-most animals will only attack if threatened and would rather run away from trouble.

    Only the apes and elephants show their similarity to us by being vindictive!

13. sschaper responds: December 27th, 2007 at 5:31 pm

    Is there any evidence that the conjecture blaming the victims is correct? Have they said so - there were no cameras or other witnesses, apparently. Could it not have been PETA terrorists, such as have killed a lot of mink around here, by letting them loose into a wild they do not know?

14. DARHOP responds: December 27th, 2007 at 5:40 pm

    Gary the Cat responds:

    Shame the cat had to die for their idiocy.

    If it is proven that it was their idiocy that caused this horrific event. And it is looking like that might be the story. I could not agree with the above statement more! But we should remember this cat does have some history. I mean she has lashed before right. Sad situation all the way around.

15. Alligator responds: December 27th, 2007 at 5:49 pm

    At one of the local zoos I’ve watched people harass chimps and gorillas and usually one of three things will happen:
    1. The harassers get urinated on.
    2. The apes get a big mouthful of water and spit on them.
    3. The apes throw feces at them.
    In all three cases, the apes are deadly accurate up to 30 feet. I’ve tried to warn folks a couple of times when I saw what was going to happen but was usually told to mind my own business (in an impolite manner). I just stand back and watch the fun. The apes usually only specifically target those who are giving them a hard time and they have my complete sympathy and support (the apes, not the humans).

    In the case of zoo keepers getting injured its usually a situation of getting a little lax or distracted. It’s just hard to keep your guard on high gear when you work with an animal for months or years without any incident. Instinct in the animals on the other hand, never really goes lax. Sometimes keepers know they are in a dangerous situation but because of the nature of the problem they are taking care of, they have to take that risk.

    As for the fools who swim moats, reach through bars, jump fences and cut locks, I don’t know what else you can do to stop them short of having an armed guard present at every enclosure. It’s really hard to have any sympathy for idiots when they end of paying the price for their foolishness.

    In June of 2001, Phil Bronstein, the publisher husband of actress Sharon Stone went in a cage with 10 foot Komodo Dragon at the Los Angeles Zoo and got his foot munched on. The tour was arranged as a Father’s Day surprise for Bronstein who always wanted to see a Komodo “up close.” I had heard that the zoo didn’t want him in the cage but a generous donation persuaded them to let him in. Dumb, dumb, dumb! There is a reason these animals are called “land crocodiles” in Indonesia. I once owned a water monitor (Varanus salvator) and a Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus) both scaled down versions of the beefier Komodo. The water monitor had a pretty good disposition, but still you couldn’t take him for granted and you sure didn’t want him to mistake your hand for food. They should be glad in Africa that Nile monitors don’t get as big as the crocs. They’re like velociraptors.

16. Emonix responds: December 27th, 2007 at 6:30 pm

    They just found out that the wall to the grotto is 12.5 feet tall not 20 feet tall.

17. Rappy responds: December 27th, 2007 at 7:55 pm

    Gary: I know the feeling. Someone once threw a rock at a border collie during a social event, then ran and hid behind some bushes, and I was the one to pay with the facial scars. Humans as a whole are a stupid species, and those that aren’t are usually the ones that realize that. I hate to sound harsh, but if it was a stunt like suggested, then it was only the fault of those performing it. My condolences to the families…

18. kittenz responds: December 27th, 2007 at 10:23 pm

    The boys may or may not have been acting boisterous around the tiger habitat, or even taunting the tigers. No one knows for sure. “Taunting” is open to interpretation. One person’s “taunting” is another person’s “playing”. Regardless, the tiger should not have been able to jump out of the pen.

    Now it comes out that the wall was only 12 feet high - a relatively easy height for an agitated tiger to jump. Plus there was inconsistency in what the zoo director said was the width of the moat. AND now they say that there really wasn’t a shoe or clothing found in the moat.

    Sounds like an attempt at a coverup to me.

    Those boys probably WERE horsing around and doing stupid stuff like meowing at the tigers or calling “kitty kitty” to them. Heck, they’re BOYS - even at 23 they’re arguably not fully adult men - and that is what teenaged boys do. Whether the behavior was malicious or even threatening to the tigers, however, is unclear. Maybe they were just romping around, and the tiger chased the movement, made a leap, and then panicked when she found that she had actually leapt out of her familiar habitat.

    Big cats in zoos are still cats. They will perk up and chase movement, especially the rapid, jerky movement of kids; I have used that to my advantage to get very good photos when I’ve had children with me at zoos. You can bet your boots I’ll never be so complacent about that again.

    I feel so bad for the dead boy’s parents. At least the kid must have died almost instantly, it does not seem that he would have lived for long with his throat torn out. But I imagine what if it had been one of my teenaged boys, goofing around at the zoo, and then suddenly in the middle of a nightmare.

    The AZA accredited that zoo. The minimum height for walls in tiger enclosures, by AZA standards, is 16.4 feet. I would think that at some point over the years the AZA inspectors would have measured the wall, but I guess it would not be realistic to think that they can measure every wall in every zoo. Realistically, I guess they have to rely on what the zoo tells them about the height of the walls, etc., but if the zoo said the wall was 20 feet high, that is nearly twice as high as it actually is. Surely they would spot that big a difference?

    I guess they’ll measure them now.

19. kittenz responds: December 27th, 2007 at 10:30 pm

    In my opinion the zoo has lost any credibility it had, knowing that the wall was under regulation height and reporting that it was 20 feet high.

20. ETxArtist responds: December 28th, 2007 at 11:56 am

    Believe me, I’ve been professionally associated with zoos, and attacks, maulings, and other injuries are even more common that what it seems by looking at these lists. The problem is that people habitually working around animals get used to their presence and forget that may not be the case for the animals. Also, many zookeepers don’t have the educational background to understand the ethology and life history of the animals in their care, so may not be aware of the risks. Also, I have personally removed zoo guests from enclosures, including small children who have climbed fences and barriers into seemingly deserted pens or ‘off-limits’ areas while their parents looked on (particularly dangerous with small ambush predators that aren’t usually thought to be a threat, and so don’t have the typical security of bigger animals, due to the new anthropocentic approach taken by zoos). And I also know of at least one death of an elephant keeper not listed above, but don’t feel it would be appropriate to give details.

21. DWA responds: December 29th, 2007 at 3:33 am

    “Big cats in zoos are still cats. They will perk up and chase movement, …”

    No kidding, kittenz. I was at the zoo in Tacoma, WA a few years back, watching a snow leopard. For whatever reason, a couple of keepers were leading a small ungulate - pretty sure it was a young reindeer - past the leopard’s cage, and not even that close to the cage. We all know how predators in zoo cages will generally not even seem to register the people outside except to regard them unconcernedly. This cat went into full stalk mode, focused like a laser on the reindeer. It’s as if those two animals were the only ones there.

    People can get pretty lazy - not even sure stupid is the word here - about animals in zoos. They don’t act as if they’re really all there. They’re more there than you think they are.

22. kittenz responds: December 29th, 2007 at 10:54 am

    Snow leopards aren’t usually considered dangerous to people , DWA, but your story, and some experiences of my own with the snow leopards at the Cincinnati Zoo, give me pause to wonder.

    I have some beautiful photos of one of their snow leopards, in his outdoor habitat, stalking my nephew (only the snow leopard is in the photos). My nephew was eight at the time and he has ADHD. That cat completely ignored me, and it ignored other adults who were watching it. But when my nephew started to move around, that cat went from lazy snoozing to outright stalking in a flash. He seemed to flow up and down the rocks in his habitat, leaping gracefully and soundlessly from behind one rock to behind another. He seemed to be in a very playful mood. But I have no doubt whatsoever that had there not been heavy chain link between them, the cat would have pounced on my nephew like a housecat after a mouse.

    Interestingly enough, at the Cincinnati Zoo, while the tigers are in walled, moated outdoor enclosures, and lions and cheetahs are in big outdoor habitats that are fenced but not roofed, the snow leopards habitats are fully enclosed by heavy chain link, including a chain link roof. I suppose their extreme leaping ability precludes keeping them in a moated enclosue.

23. kittenz responds: December 29th, 2007 at 11:33 am

    I just remembered another incident, that shows how seemingly insignificant things might trigger aggressive behavior in an animal.

    Another time at the Cincy Zoo, I was in the Cat House, at the caracal exhibit. At the time they had 3 or 4 caracals. I wore glasses at that time, and on the way to the zoo that day I had dropped my glasses, breaking the frame. Fortunately, since I couldn’t drive without corrective lenses, I had a pair of prescription sunglasses with me. They had very dark, oversized lenses. I put on my sunglasses in order to be able to see the caracals (which were in a naturalistic habitat, behind glass). One of the caracals immediately bristled up, laid back her ears, and hissed at me. Then she, acting for all the world like an angry Halloween cat, walked right up to the glass, never taking her eyes off my facel, hissed and spat again, and slapped the glass with her paw.

    A colleague, who had worked with the cats at the zoo for several years, later told me that caracal was normally “the sweetest cat in the world”, and that she was about 14 years old at the time and not known for aggressive behavior. I guess the cat thought that she was suddenly confronted with a strange animal and not her more familiar crowd of people, and that is what triggered the aggressive behavior.

24. DWA responds: December 30th, 2007 at 5:30 pm

    kittenz: I wonder sometimes about our presumptions about which animals are and aren’t dangerous to humans.

    When I was growing up I remember the same thing being generally said about cheetahs and mountain lions. Either of those animals would have no trouble with a small child - which they rarely get the opportunity to take - and of course the latter has killed adults.

    The elevation and remoteness of snow leopard habitat makes human targets of opportunity very rare. But I’d certainly be very much on the alert were I on my own in snow leopard country.

    In fact, this whole conversation has me paying attention. I’m now at a New Year’s get-together out at my sister’s place in West Virginia. There’s a few dogs here, including a Rottweiler, a big one. The Rott was around my bed last night, making a few sounds that were suspiciously like growls. I was on edge. When I found him lying on my sleeping bag this morning, OK, so I’m squeamish about huge dogs lying on my stuff, I was extremely glad when my simple request that he move was promptly complied with.

    As you said, kittenz, you don’t know what will set one off.

25. Loren Coleman responds: December 31st, 2007 at 10:42 am

    For a December 31, 2007, update, on the tiger attack, see especially the last half of this posting:

    Year Ends With Zoos in News

26. dogu4 responds: January 2nd, 2008 at 1:49 am

    As great as zoos can be for a variety of reasons having to do with education and conservation they do still maintain a lingeringand unfortunate legacy of zoos as they used to be.
    It will I hope lead to a day when the idea of a zoological preserve, whether in an urban setting like SF’s or Chicago’s Lincoln Park or any of hundreds of others from the era of public menageries or one of the newer conservation/preserve oriented efforts, they will be as safe as possible for all animals, 4 legged and 2.
    What would make it all worthwhile especially would be their working in concert with efforts to re-wild our landscape and bring them back to the biological potential they still may support.

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