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SMR

Read The Sign - 30/06/2012

This eland wasn't terribly impressed.

Read The Sign - 30/06/2012
SMR, 1 Jul 2012
CheeseChameleon1945 likes this.
    • SMR
      This eland wasn't terribly impressed.
    • FBBird
      Read the sign

      Neither was the keeper who was killed by one in a UK safari park in the 60s/70s
    • SMR
      The next image in this series shows the eland with its head - and horns - fully into the car.

      Do you remember which collection was involved in that incident and its surroundings?
    • FBBird
      Read the Sign

      It may have been Woburn, and the keeper was trying to put the animal away for the night, but it was donkey's years ago -- can anyone else remember more detail?
    • Tim May
      Jonathan Kingdon's book "East African Mammals: An Atlas of Evolution in Africa" (Volume IIIC) confirms that a keeper at Woburn was killed by a male eland.
    • Hix
      When I first saw the above image I almost commented that if the eland put it's head in car to get fed, and got it's horns stuck on the way out - it would be pretty nasty.

      Some people deserve to be victims of natural selection.
    • Pertinax
      I am not being a killjoy but ever since a visit to West Midlands a few years ago I have become quite intrugued by this 'Risk' situation between visitors and 'tame' large ungulates at several of the Drive-thru Safari Parks. Where is 'Health and Safety' on this issue?:confused: No one would normally allow stranger/inexperienced persons near e.g. a Domestic bull on a farm and yet some of these animals are quite as dangerous, having lost most/all of their fear through close contact with people.

      Having 'no feeding/touching' signs doesn't really reduce the risks either as the animals will still, as here, approach cars in the hope of food, put their heads in the windows etc. Even if not deliberately aggressive, the potential danger from misplaced horn swipes or a stuck head etc must be always present, not to mention on-going health risks from transfer of germs by saliva and other contacts.
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  • Category:
    Knowsley Safari Park
    Uploaded By:
    SMR
    Date:
    1 Jul 2012
    View Count:
    1,614
    Comment Count:
    7

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    Model:
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    Date / Time:
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    ISO Speed Rating:
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