I saw a list once, of the 20 most dangerous proffesions. Zookeeper, wasn't one of them. Still got some exemples though: Country: South Africa Zoo: Zion Wildlife Gardens Year: 2009 Circumstance: An experienced big cat handler who previously saved a fellow game-keeper from a tiger attack was himself fatally mauled at the zoo made famous by the "Lion Man" television show. Country: Venezuela Zoo: Caracas Zoo Year: 2008 Circumstance: A 10-foot Burmese Python killed a student zookeeper in Caracas on the weekend and was caught trying to swallow its dead human prey when horrified coworkers arrived. Country: Germany Zoo: Berlin Tierpark Year: 2007 Circumstance: A female zookeeper was trampled to death by a musk ox. Country: United States Zoo: Seaworld Orlando Year: 2010 Circumstance: Animal trainer Dawn Brancheau of Seaworld in Orlando, Florida, was fatally attacked while performing with a killer whale. Country: Canaric Islands Zoo: Loro Parque Year: 2009 Circumstance: During a kille whale show, one of the animal trainers was pulled down under water and drowned. Country: United States Zoo: The Safari's Wildlife Sanctuary in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (I know it's not a zoo, but still very interesting) Year: 2008 Circumstance: Peter Getz, experienced animal handler, was killed by a liger. The liger bit him on the neck and the back before he was rushed to a hospital. Country: Japan Zoo: Fuji Safari Park Year: 2005 Circumstance: A Japanese zookeeper was killed and another was injured after a brown bear attacked them. He was pronounced dead at a hospital from blood loss, police said. He had suffered injuries to his head and left leg.
I was cycling to work this morning (running late as usual) and thinking about ZooChat, when "Mark Aitken" popped into my head. I think that was the gentleman's name, so I was wrong where the "H" was concerned. Douglas Robertson was killed by the African Elephant Ben (short for Ebeni?) at Savage World (in English per the newspaper reports), Belgium in 1995. The animal subsequently went to Howletts I believe. An interesting read is "Elephant Tramp" (1955) by George "Slim" Lewis who worked with Elephants in American circuses and zoos. It includes a photograph, taken by a visitor, of the Asiatic bull "Ziggy" trying to kill the author at Brookfield Zoo. He survived because the animal had driven his tusks so hard into the ground aiming for his keeper that it took him a moment to free them, allowing "Slim" Lewis the opportunity to stand up and shout at his charge who was taken by surprise.
country:ivory coast zoo: unknown year unknown keeper who worked with crocodiles for 36 years killed by adult caiman
Your post reminded me of this incident, which I heard about on a BBC broadcast. It wasn't at a proper zoo, but the story has all sorts of resonances. Here is the script. BBC News - The crocodile feeder of Ivory Coast
i believe howletts and port lyme both work no contact with there elephants. on the subject of keeper deaths the was a wolf keeper killed last year a tiger keeper this year both somehwere in europe. and i believe a elephant keeper was killed in fiji and another in new zealand was put in a criritical condition by a young bull. there was also a keeper killed by a giant ant eater i believe Details about the wolf keeper http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tony-phillips/wolves-kill-keeper-at-swe_b_1606309.html tiger keeper at cologne http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ped-enclosure-gate-wasnt-closed-properly.html Anteater one was 2007 http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/17/anteater_attack/
Bronx Zoo 1985 A keeper cleaning the Amur Tiger exhibit was mauled by two of the big cats. Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo 1993 Back when the zoo had Asian Elephants and used free contact, a female elephant knocked a female keeper down and stomped her head.
this is my favourite one. An unknown keeper in an unknown zoo in an unknown year. At least the species is there
Zion Wildlife Gardens is in New Zealand not South Africa. The attack happened on Dalu Mncube on 27 May 2009. He was killed by a white male tiger named Abu. The Coroner's inquest was only a month or so back. He has not at this stage come back with his findings on Dalu's death
-Presumably the elephant keeper was on holiday in Fiji, as there are no elephants there, so that wouldn't really count as a keeper death. -There are only female elephants in NZ, and one did kill a female keeper earlier this year. The incident you are referring to was at Taronga Zoo, Australia.
the NZ/Aus circuses used to tour Fiji and probably other Pacific Islands(Jumbo/Mila, for example, toured Fiji several times I believe). I don't know the circumstances or veracity of the claim here though. A very quick google search found nothing on Fiji (which means nothing) but I did find one in Hawaii in 1994: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyke_(elephant)
You're absolutely right. Mark Aitken was his name and was, in fact, the young brother of George Jacob's wife, Joanna. He was only 20.
I was at Bristol's Wild Place the other day and I overhead a visitor tell his girlfriend that zebras kill more keepers than any other animal. I've read through this thread and not one mention of a zebra so far.
I have never heard of a Zebra attacking a keeper, let alone killing one. But I have heard of Axis deer being responsible for deaths- in Europe in the past, but have no references.
A lot of these deaths were caused by elephants which is why lots of zoos have them in protected contact. They are regarded as code red or dangerous animals, and some zoos *cough cough* Pittsburgh *cough cough* still have them in free contact which I find ridiculous
Here's a few I found that I don't think have been mentioned: Country: Sweden Zoo: Orsa Rovdjurspark Year: 2017 Circumstance: 19-year-old keeper killed while showing visitors the bear enclosure, which was supposed to be empty. Teenage zookeeper killed by bear in Sweden - Radio Sweden Country: Mexico Zoo: Nicolas Bravo Zoo Year: 2018 Circumstance: Keeper forgot to shut gate separating feeding and sleeping areas in the lion enclosure, was killed while cleaning. Mexican zookeeper forgot to shut gate before killed by lion Country: New Zealand Zoo: Hamilton Zoo Year: 2015 Circumstance: Zoo Curator killed by older female tiger. Keeper killed by tiger at Hamilton Zoo Country: India Zoo: Bannerghatta Biological Park Zoo Year: 2017 Circumstance: Killed by an 18-month-old white tiger while cleaning up after feeding. A sibling joined in after the keeper was dead. Horror as zookeeper mauled to death by white tigers while he cleaned their enclosure Country: China Zoo: Fuzhou Zoo Year: 2018 Circumstance: Keeper tilled by former circus tiger during training. Country: United States Zoo: Lincoln Park Zoo Year: 1945 Circumstance: Worked killed by black bear while cleaning cage. Country: United States Zoo: San Diego Zoo Year: 1942 Circumstance: Animal trainer attacked (killed?) by Himalayan brown bear. Country: United States Zoo: Denver Zoo Year: 1934 Circumstance: Keeper attacked by two grizzlies after spraying them with hose. Country: United States Zoo: John Ball Zoo Year: 1985 Circumstance: Jaguar opened automatic door and killed pregnant keeper. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/12/13/Cage-door-blamed-in-fatal-jaguar-attack/1337503298000/ Country: United States Zoo: Denver Zoo Year: 2007 Circumstance: Jaguar got into employee access hallway and killed keeper. Country: South Africa Zoo: ?? Year: ?? Circumstance: Retired keeper returned to help cover staff shortages, was attacked and killed by 11 year old lion during feeding. Security gates had been left open. Country: China Zoo: Yeshanko Wildlife Zoo Year: 2016 Circumstance: Idiot jumped into Walrus pool to get a selfie. Both he and the keeper who tried to rescue him were drowned. Country: United States Zoo: Miami MetroZoo Year: 2016 Circumstance: Keeper didn’t see/ignored sign saying a tiger was in the paddock when arriving in the morning; tiger left out attacked when he opened the gate. Keeper had suffered a head injury from a rhino 4 days before and had been having vision problems, sleep issues as a result. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article72217807.html Country: United States Zoo: Knowland Park Zoo Year: 1991 Circumstance: Elephant attacked and killed handler Country: United States Zoo: San Antonio Year: 1992 Circumstance: Elephant lifted keeper with trunk and slammed him down, killing him Country: United States Zoo: Lowry Park Year: 1993 Circumstance: Elephant swatted handler to the ground with its trunk, kicked her in the head Country: United States Zoo: Pittsburgh Year: 2002 Circumstance: Elephant pinned handler to ground during walk, killing him Country: United States Zoo: Knoxville Zoo Year: 2011 Circumstance: Employee pushed into stall by elephant Country: United States Zoo: Dickerson Park Year: 2013 Circumstance: Elephant killed keeper
Country: Austria Zoo: Vienna Date: 05.03.2002 Circumstance: 21-year old female keeper was killed by three Jaguars, as she prepared their food (security gate was left open) Country: Germany Zoo: Duisburg Date: 03.07.1961 Circumstance: Experienced keeper was attacked by the male wart hog during the feeding. The wart hog hits the Aorta of his upper leg and he bled to death. Country: Germany Zoos: Münster & Cologne Dates: Sept. 2013 & Aug. 2012 Circumstance: Experienced keepers forgot to close the safety gates and get killed by the zoo´s male tigers. Countries: Austria / Netherlands Zoos: Vienna & Beekse Bergen Dates: 2005 & 2003 Circumstance: Elephants (bull in Vienna / cow in Beekse) killed their keepers.
