There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
06-27-2018, 08:53 AM( This post was last modified: 06-27-2018, 10:05 AM by peter )
(06-26-2018, 11:43 PM)Roflcopters Wrote: this could all have been avoided if she was placed on leave from the first incident, unfortunately when you work with big cats. any little mistake could be a life and death situation and people need to be very aware of the danger. no matter how professional you are. safety is always a must, looks like she wasn’t so lucky the second time and as a result. she paid a heavy price and so did the tiger who wasn’t at fault. this was clearly a human error. sad ending.
It seems the poor woman had had different narrow escapes. Her luck ran out when she met Altai at home on that fateful day. Meaby it's best to leave it at that.
Those who take care of big cats often change their behaviour after some years in that they tend to treat the animals they know so well more and more like pets or friends. They know that a cage and keys are necessary, but not a few forget to lock doors every now and then. They also often enjoy close contact. Human nature, so it seems.
Most slops go unnoticed or have no consequences. A keeper in a facility I visited every now and then was bitten by an adult tigress he knew well. This happened when she had to change cages. She didn't like it one bit and told everyone. The keeper, like he always did, tried to comfort her. That day, she took his arm in her mouth and told him in no uncertain way that liberties were not permitted in some circumstances. It resulted in four blue holes, but the skin still was intact.
A keeper taking care of Asiatic lions in a zoo was not that lucky. He forgot to lock one of the doors. The lions knew. The next day, they were waiting for him. The male lion made serious work of it before he was shot. The keeper needed 6 months to recover. When he reported for duty, he was optimistic. Unfortunately, it didn't work out. After some time, he had to call it a day. When you survive a severe mauling, things change.
I talked to quite a few with similar experiences and also saw a few statistics. Most accidents are a result of slops and risks that could and should have been avoided. Not seldom, especially in the USA, children are involved. Don't ask me why they were allowed to get close to big cats. When an adult is attacked, fear often seems to be an important factor. Every now and then, an attack is a result of aggression. Captive big cats often show great restraint when it matters. This is the reason so few get hurt.
For a visitor, handler, keeper or trainer, knowledge is all important. Very often, it's there right at the start. The male Sumatran tiger who pushed me aside when a molar of his brother was removed by a vet was known for his disposition. A killer, they said. They had a point, but we got along from the start. This was not true for a tigress liked by all. I had a different opinion and stayed out of reach. Some time later, I was proven right. The keeper was blamed, but they were wrong again. The tigress knew I knew and invited me for dinner. I politely declined.
I'm still working on the Hasinger tiger. Takes a bit of time.