Rare white tiger kills zoo keeper in front of tourists

[HURAKAN]

Rare white tiger kills zoo keeper

A rare white tiger has mauled to death a New Zealand zoo keeper as horrified tourists looked on, police said.

The attack occurred at the Zion Wildlife Gardens in Whangarei, some 200km (124 miles) north of Auckland.

Police said the tiger grabbed a male zoo keeper who was cleaning an enclosure and would not let go despite the efforts of other staff members.

The zoo - home to some 40 rare lions and tigers - has been closed to visitors, and the tiger destroyed.

Police said the attack was witnessed by a group of eight tourists.

A white tiger at the same park was reported to have attacked another keeper earlier this year, leaving him needing surgery.

The zoo is well known in New Zealand as the setting for a reality television programme that starred its founder Craig Busch, known as the "Lion Man".

Mr Busch was dismissed from his post last year by his mother, who controls the zoo.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/w ... 069462.stm

[somethingfunny]

I know the tiger is an endangered species, but didn't anybody working at this zoo have a gun?

[george_r_1961]

I know the tiger is an endangered species, but didn't anybody working at this zoo have a gun?

Dont know about guns but that zookeeper was lacking a brain. You dont go in an enclosure with a wild animal for crying out loud! No matter how friendly they seem.

[Squarethecircle]

In all of the zoos over here (in fact, even the ones I've visited out of country), they usually have enclosures within a exhibit or something similar to house the animals while the zookeepers clean to prevent harm from becoming either party. Normally it wouldn't be a problem, and I can see that it might be difficult to introduce it (requires changing exhibit structure), but they've now learned their lessons. A little extra planning can go a long way - it could have saved a zookeeper and a (unfortunately rather rare) tiger. If they do have these within-exhibit enclosures, and the zookeeper did not use them, then I agree with the above that it was monumentally stupid.