White Tiger kills keeper at Zion

**Winston001** · 29th May 2009, 16:18

Originally Posted by imdying

I'm not saying don't get in a cage with a known people muncher, I'm saying don't get in a cage with a potential people muncher. Those animals aren't house cats, and shouldn't be treated like they can be.

Fair enough but I don't agree. People work directly with large cats all over the world. Yes, it is dangerous work. There are attacks but far less than you'd imagine. It is unusual.

The type of person who can do this is passionate and aware of the risks. There is plenty of sympathy for the dead man - it's a tragedy - but he wouldn't have wanted the tiger shot.

Cats are fundamentally different from dogs. The dog has been domesticated. The cat has not. The friendly moggy is my preferred pet but I have no illusions - you don't own a cat. They are wild animals who choose to live with you cos the conditions are optimum.

**Winston001** · 29th May 2009, 16:22

Short story - when I was aged 4, I "disciplined" a farm dog by poking it with a stick. My dad had told it off. The dog took exception to me interfering and I landed in hospital -> plastic surgery -> three years for the scars to heal.

But dad didn't shoot the dog. And at the age of 4, I did not want that dog shot. The attack was my fault, not the dogs.

**Brett** · 29th May 2009, 16:45

Originally Posted by Mikkel

Of course dad, please don't hit me.

Yes, we put down dogs that attack people - and to me it's not the dog that is the problem, but the owner. However, there's a tad more than 120 dogs left on the planet - last time I checked dogs hadn't even made the "may become threatened in the foreseeable future" stage. There's a slight difference between putting down an attack dog because it would take up resources to keep it alive and keeping a specimen of a very endangered species alive for breeding purposes.

If this tiger was known to have attacked a keeper already, what imdying is saying is the way to go. Don't go near it, it is able to kill you with a single swipe of its paw. If this tiger has indeed been used for entertaining zoo guests up until now, that is hugely irresponsible.

I hear what your saying Mikkel. I do agree that it is sad they killed the cat. It is also sad that the keeper died. I come from a family with quite some history in South Africa in Animal Conservation and am a HUGE animal fan. One thing to remember about any breeding programme is that they cost money. The best and most economical way to raise funding to carry on the work is to combine your conservation programme with a form of tourism. This is what Zion Gardens is. Badly run? I am guessing so, and I guess that a lot of it could well have started after Craig Busch (Sp?) went through his whole ordeal. (Have an inside edge on that too.)
However, a cat such as that tiger is immensley valuable both fiscally as well as naturally and I doubt very strongly that they would have killed it had there been another way out.
I think my comments re: putting down dogs vs big cats is flawed. I admit that. I retract it. However I do think that the point I was making stands.

But I think it is wrong of you guys calling the keeper a moron for going into the enclosure. It is something he probably did a hundred times safely and was probably used to it and didn't see the harm. Yes safety protocols there CLEARLY need to be reviewed if Zion is to stay operating but dont miss the fact that the work this guy was doing (and from the sounds of it he wasn't just a shit sweeper) was for the good of the breed and in the intere4st of retaining a nearly wiped out species. Shit this place can be judgemental and hard on others.
I do think that it is incredibly wrong for any of the beasts to be killed if the park closes, they should all be re-homed.

**Mikkel** · 29th May 2009, 17:17

Originally Posted by Brett

I hear what your saying Mikkel. I do agree that it is sad they killed the cat. It is also sad that the keeper died. I come from a family with quite some history in South Africa in Animal Conservation and am a HUGE animal fan. One thing to remember about any breeding programme is that they cost money. The best and most economical way to raise funding to carry on the work is to combine your conservation programme with a form of tourism. This is what Zion Gardens is. Badly run? I am guessing so, and I guess that a lot of it could well have started after Craig Busch (Sp?) went through his whole ordeal. (Have an inside edge on that too.)
However, a cat such as that tiger is immensley valuable both fiscally as well as naturally and I doubt very strongly that they would have killed it had there been another way out.
I think my comments re: putting down dogs vs big cats is flawed. I admit that. I retract it. However I do think that the point I was making stands.

No disagreement whatsoever. And I do think you are right - if they killed the tiger it was because it seemed like the only option at the time. It's easy in retrospect to say "the keeper died anyway, why kill the tiger in revenge".

Originally Posted by Brett

But I think it is wrong of you guys calling the keeper a moron for going into the enclosure. It is something he probably did a hundred times safely and was probably used to it and didn't see the harm. Yes safety protocols there CLEARLY need to be reviewed if Zion is to stay operating but dont miss the fact that the work this guy was doing (and from the sounds of it he wasn't just a shit sweeper) was for the good of the breed and in the intere4st of retaining a nearly wiped out species. Shit this place can be judgemental and hard on others.
I do think that it is incredibly wrong for any of the beasts to be killed if the park closes, they should all be re-homed.

For the record, I never called the keeper a moron. However, getting mauled by a tiger is a risk (no matter how improbable) when you get into that cage. It's an occupational hazard so to speak - just like commercial divers are more likely to suffer a spell of the bends than all non-divers. Yes, it is a tragedy. Anytime a person's life is cut short it is a tragedy. However, we still laugh at the Darwin awards - I know I do!
It's not done to be callous, but this existence would be much more bleak without black humour. No amount of being PC and fitting into the popular conception of what respectful is will ever change what has happened.

If I ever get eaten by a tiger, feel free to take the piss out of the situation. After all - my obiturary will rock! "Eaten by Tiger" beats "Succumbed after a decade long struggle with cancer" any day of the week.

**Swoop** · 29th May 2009, 21:08

I am presuming that the shooter has been charged by (*insert name here) for killing an endangered animal.

* DoC.
* WWF.
* SPCA.
* MAF.

**Brett** · 29th May 2009, 23:44

Originally Posted by Mikkel

No disagreement whatsoever. And I do think you are right - if they killed the tiger it was because it seemed like the only option at the time. It's easy in retrospect to say "the keeper died anyway, why kill the tiger in revenge".

For the record, I never called the keeper a moron. However, getting mauled by a tiger is a risk (no matter how improbable) when you get into that cage. It's an occupational hazard so to speak - just like commercial divers are more likely to suffer a spell of the bends than all non-divers. Yes, it is a tragedy. Anytime a person's life is cut short it is a tragedy. However, we still laugh at the Darwin awards - I know I do!
It's not done to be callous, but this existence would be much more bleak without black humour. No amount of being PC and fitting into the popular conception of what respectful is will ever change what has happened.

If I ever get eaten by a tiger, feel free to take the piss out of the situation. After all - my obiturary will rock! "Eaten by Tiger" beats "Succumbed after a decade long struggle with cancer" any day of the week.

We have struck an accord