Wellington Zoo zoo names first animals to be shot

[Chlidonias]

a bit of a wierd press release, but here you go:
Zoo names first animals to be shot | Stuff.co.nz

6 May 2011

Wellington Zoo has made a hit list of five animals to be shot dead in the event of a major emergency.

Chimpanzees would be the first to go in the case of a catastrophe like the Christchurch earthquake, chief executive Karen Fifield told Radio NZ.

Next on the list are lions, tigers, African wild dogs and Malayan sun bears.

Ms Fifield said the chimps had been identified as most dangerous because of their immense strength combined with their inquisitive and adventurous nature.

"It's like having the strength of seven adult humans with the intelligence of a five-year-old."

Neighbours of the zoo in Newtown met with zoo management after the Christchurch earthquake to discuss an emergency plan, Ms Fifield said.

In an emergency, trained snipers would shoot to kill - a standard policy in many zoos as maiming or tranquilizing can be unethical or ineffective.

At least one trained sharpshooter is on hand at the zoo at all times.

 

[Hix]

Probably not something the zoo wanted to publicise, it may have been the neighbours who leaked it. As the article says, most large zoos have policies like this. For many years Animal Keeper's Forum (the monthly journal of the American Association of Zoo Keepers) had a section on Crisis Management, what to do, tools you need etc.



Hix

 

[Chlidonias]

a bit of a late post but I haven't been around for a while; this article (from the 19 May) was in direct response to the initial article in this thread.
Orana Wildlife Park's hit list - news - the-press | Stuff.co.nz

Lions, tigers, wild dogs and gibbons are top of Orana Wildlife Park's hit list in the event of a mass animal escape.

Chief executive Lynn Anderson said the four species were considered a greater risk than other animals. "If any of those animals was to endanger human life I'd give the order shoot to kill."

The park, to the northwest of Christchurch, has come through two earthquakes intact, but has a contingency plan for every animal if its boundaries were breached.

Big cats were obvious starters for the list, but Anderson said the African wild dogs were just as dangerous.

"They have a jaw-crushing power you wouldn't believe . . . You could give them a large thigh bone and they could chomp through like a lollipop."

The park's four siamang gibbons were smaller than other primates, but still a serious threat, Anderson said.

"They have extremely strong teeth and the males can be very territorial. They're not right up there in the category of lions, tigers and wild dogs but still they're still considered dangerous if escaped."

Dangerous-animal enclosures were checked by vehicle after an earthquake and on February 22 all visitors were taken to safe houses. All dangerous animals had to be accounted for before closer inspection could take place.

Anderson said other animals posed a risk too, but their nature meant recapture was more feasible. "Zebra stallions could potentially be dangerous but the chances of them trying to maraud and trample visitors is extremely slim. Rhinos, their sheer size and the fact they have a horn that could impale you means they are a huge risk but. . . they really have the personality of a large cow."

Pack animals were unlikely to stray far from their kind, she said. "If a spider monkey got out, you're going to find it in a tree within 100m of its enclosure. It's natural behaviour will be 'what did I do that for? How do I get back in?' "

Meerkats and African crested porcupines, both burrowers, would be the hardest animals to catch, Anderson said.

Orana Park's sole successful escape predated all its current staff. In 1976 an Asiatic water buffalo was spotted walking the green at the nearby McLeans Island golf course, reportedly disrupting ladies' day at the club.

 

[Maguari]

Orana Park's sole successful escape predated all its current staff.

That worried me for a moment, 'til I realised it was 'pre-dated' not 'predate-d'!

 

[Chlidonias]

I just revisited the article in the initial post of this thread (due to a post made in another thread), and found that the content was edited quite considerably soon after I had posted it.
Full article as it appears now:

Paul Horton has looked after Wellington Zoo's big animals for nine years, but if it came to the crunch he'd shoot them dead in a second.

Mr Horton is in charge of the zoo's carnivores, and is one of a team of sharpshooters trained to deal with animal emergencies.

The zoo must follow Agriculture and Forestry Ministry rules that list animals that must be killed immediately if human safety is threatened. Chimpanzees, baboons, lions, tigers, African wild dogs and Malayan sun bears are all in the firing line.

Zoo chief executive Karen Fifield said the chimps had been identified as most dangerous because of their immense strength combined with their inquisitive and adventurous nature.

Ms Fifield briefed residents about the zoo's emergency response procedures at an informal meeting in April after one neighbour raised concerns following the Christchurch earthquake.

In an emergency, staff will shoot to kill – a standard policy in many zoos as maiming or tranquillising is seen as unethical and often ineffective.

At least one trained sharpshooter is on hand at the zoo at all times, including Mr Horton, who lives on site.

Mr Horton said it would be tough to shoot the animals he works with every day, but if it came to the crunch he would have no hesitation – even his favourites, the baboons. "Absolutely. Male baboons are on the shoot-to-kill list because they're pretty fast, and they've got big teeth."

General operations manager Mauritz Basson said he chose shooters based on their "strong demeanour".

"It's one thing to shoot a paper target, but it's different when you are looking in the eye an animal that you look after day to day. So you have to pick people with strong demeanour who are going to listen to their brain over their heart. It's like slaughtering the pet lamb for Christmas."

Mr Basson said no dangerous animals had escaped during his 10 years at the zoo, but there were two red panda escapes before his arrival. Both were recovered safely, but not before several reports of "strange looking cats" were made to local authorities.

The zoo's most famous animal escape was in 1967 when tigers Napoleon and Josephine roamed the streets of Newtown one night.

More than 100 people, including police, zoo staff and a touring circus troupe, helped search for the animals, which were both shot and killed.

Mr Basson said even less ferocious animals like the giraffes were potential killers, and could be shot dead if human safety was in question.

"If a giraffe managed to get out on a Sunday afternoon with hundreds of people around, it could just as easily kill by running into people or trampling them.

"You don't want a string of dead or mauled people behind a giraffe, so in that case you would shoot it."

 

[Hix]

Giraffes aren't likely to trample people as they would head away from crowds, but if people got near there would be a greater chance of them kicking you into the afterlife.



Hix