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Argentine zookeeper dies after anteater attack

Discussion in 'Argentina' started by Simon Hampel, 13 Apr 2007.

  1. Simon Hampel

    Simon Hampel Administrator Staff Member 20+ year member

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    From the SMH:

    Argentine zookeeper dies after anteater attack

     
  2. patrick

    patrick Well-Known Member

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    bizarre! i think this was the zoo that i went to when i was in buenos aires.
    i even went just to see the anteater!!!!
     
  3. Pertinax

    Pertinax Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    shows that even a comparatively harmless creature can potentially be dangerous.
     
  4. Zooish

    Zooish Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    That's unusual, giant anteaters are usually placid. One of Singapore's keepers got slashed on the hands by an anteater last year but the wounds were not deep, didn't even require stitches. The anteater attacked because she was startled while sleeping.

    To read of such a vicious attack, its really bizarre as patrick put it!
     
  5. Writhedhornbill

    Writhedhornbill Well-Known Member

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    I heard that a tapir attacked a zoo keeper. It bit her arm when the keeper went too close to the baby. Shocking!! I always thought that tapirs and Anteaters were nice. Anteaters are becoming more common in european zoos.
     
  6. Zoo_Boy

    Zoo_Boy Well-Known Member

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    malay tapirs are shocking- happened at taronga years ago, whole story, basically keeper wasnt educated on species, and she had only worked with brazilians, malay tapir mauled her, she was seriously injured, completely her own fault
     
  7. patrick

    patrick Well-Known Member

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    i read the argentine zookeeper is still alive (albeit in a critical condition) in a different report. was thhis older news perhaps?
     
  8. Pertinax

    Pertinax Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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  9. Zoo_Boy

    Zoo_Boy Well-Known Member

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    i ahve been in with with wpz tapir, so kool, the older male there just sat as i patted him all over

    yea this story of taronags tapi aint well known, but malayans all over i belive are very vicious
     
  10. patrick

    patrick Well-Known Member

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    not mine. i keep him with my anteater.
     
  11. Writhedhornbill

    Writhedhornbill Well-Known Member

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    Do you have a tapir? I love them and have adopted one at Chester zoo.
     
  12. Zooish

    Zooish Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Not the ones in Singapore! They're the sweetest. In fact Malayan tapirs are often the first large wild animal that student zoo volunteers get to interact with. The worst our tapirs have ever done was shower a poor volunteer with pee!

    Having said that, our female tapir is heavily pregnant now and the male does get a bit agitated when the keepers get close to her, but not to the extent of attacking. As with any animal, reading warning signs is important and knowing when to back off.
     
  13. Writhedhornbill

    Writhedhornbill Well-Known Member

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    Aww baby tapirs are cute. I saw one at Edinburgh about 2 weeks ago. Will you post some pictures of the baby
     
  14. Panthera-leo

    Panthera-leo Member

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    when i did work experience at Taronga they told me that the tapirs were very dangerous and had even bitten off a keeper's arm/fingers? in the US. they were also classed as dangerous in the information i was given as part of the carnivores unit. it was very interesting experience, the keeper had trained the mother to allow them to put eye cream on her and then a fly net. i wasn't allowed to go near them and the keepers had minimal contact with them. Not my most favorite animals i got the job of cleaning out their inside pool and i filled a green trolly bin full of ****. i stunk the rest of the day.
     
  15. PAT

    PAT Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    When did you do work experience? I would love to but didn't get in at melbourne.
     
  16. Panthera-leo

    Panthera-leo Member

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    i did work experience gosh.. two years ago around ANZAC day it was at taronga in the carnivores unit about six months after the snow leopard cubs were born and i got to go in with them!!!
     
  17. Monty

    Monty Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Giant anteaters kill two hunters in Brazil