Those keepers were inside the enclosure playing with the animals, and I believe on one occasion the tiger climbed over a separating fence from the other enclosure. Try and get the facts right before you use them against me
Edit: And I personally don't see this as irresponsible, as he's behind the mesh and pretty much asleep by the look of it. I bet 90% of keepers have photos very similar to this.
Those keepers were inside the enclosure playing with the animals, and I believe on one occasion the tiger climbed over a separating fence from the other enclosure. Try and get the facts right before you use them against me
Edit: And I personally don't see this as irresponsible, as he's behind the mesh and pretty much asleep by the look of it. I bet 90% of keepers have photos very similar to this.
Tell that to the SF Zookeeper whose forearm and hand were "de-gloved" by a tiger that reached through the mesh and grabbed her. Or the idiot at Calgary who sustained a serious injury from a tiger when it pulled his hand through mesh when he tried to pet it from outside the enclosure.....
I don't think the issue is this moment, captured in this picture. Rather it is the attitude and complacency that led to this moment that concerns those who posted. What keeper who has been mauled had previously thought "I'm doing unsafe things that are highly risky?" They all believed that they had a special something with "their" animals. One day they were fine, the next day they were not.
And while we are concerned about Kate, it is not only Kate that is at risk. If there were to be an accident, the animal and the zoo would suffer consequences. In fact, all zoos would be held accountable for one keeper's poor judgment.
Ash is right only on one occasion at Howletts was the keeper actually in with the Tiger. Sadly this incident killed the late Cat Keeper Trevor Smith, no one knows what triggered Balkash to do such a thing but it could of been anything.The other two occasions Zaya (conincidently Balkash was a descendent of) climbed over from her compound and into the main paddock where the keepers where cleaning out during the mornings.
The last thing anyone wants is for anyone to be killed or harmed.
Still, in my opinion, the risk is unnecessary, and its a valid risk if you look at other "incidents"
Those keepers were inside the enclosure playing with the animals, and I believe on one occasion the tiger climbed over a separating fence from the other enclosure. Try and get the facts right before you use them against me
Edit: And I personally don't see this as irresponsible, as he's behind the mesh and pretty much asleep by the look of it. I bet 90% of keepers have photos very similar to this.
why are you complaining its just like petting ur cat at home, its just not as dangerous, but they will still bite or claw... the lion in the photo looks likes it ENJOYS being stroked.