The zoo has been closed, "visitors evacuated" police and air ambulance involved. Hamerton Zoo evacuated as police and air ambulance called to 'serious incident'
The zoo have confirmed a tiger has not escaped. There are unconfirmed reports of an incident between a tiger and a keeper
No escape, but an incident between a tiger and keeper, according to one post on facebook. All sorted now apparently.
another item on the incident Hamerton Zoo evacuated after 'serious incident involving tiger and keeper'
BBC news said they've just been handed a statement saying that a staff member has been killed in a freak accident in the tiger enclosure. They said no animals escaped and the public was never in any danger. Zoo will be closed tomorrow.
What an awful tragedy! Just saw it in the news. My heart goes out to all her loved ones and the people involved.
The keeper involved in today's incident has now been named: Thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues at this awful time. Truly tragic news The female zookeeper killed by a tiger which entered the enclosure with her has been named as Rosa King. Ms King, 33, worked at Hamerton Zoo as a carnivore keeper where a ‘serious incident’ was declared around 11am. One of her relatives told the Sun: ‘She loved those animals – it’s absolutely tragic. ‘She would walk in the cheetah cage and play football with them. She was at home with them.’ Visitors at the zoo were evacuated while an air ambulance landed on site, with witnesses describing hearing screams as they were told to leave. Staff threw meat at the tiger to try and tempt it away but were unable to save their colleague. In a sign pinned up at the site, the zoo management said staff were ‘too distressed to speak directly to the media as one of our colleagues was killed this morning’. ‘This appears to have been a freak accident’. An air ambulance flew to the scene to try to save the woman, along with police and paramedics. Cambridgeshire Police said the force responded to a call indicating that a ‘serious incident’ was in progress at the zoo, around 80 miles north of London. Police said the public were not at risk and no animals had escaped but did not elaborate. The incident took place on a bank holiday when children were off from school. Police said more details would be made available later. A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Constabulary said: ‘We were called at around 11.15am to reports of a serious incident at Hamerton Zoo Park, Steeple Gidding.’ The zoo said: ‘This appears to have been a freak accident. ‘A full investigation is currently under way and we hope that more details can be announced as soon as we are able. ‘At no point during the incident did any animals escape their enclosures, and at no point was public safety affected in any way. ‘All our thoughts and sympathies are with our colleagues, friends and families at this dreadful time Zookeeper mauled to death by tiger named as Rosa King
Very sad indeed. Seeing who it was now, I recognise her as the first keeper I spoke to there and a seemingly ever present, committed lady.
Tragic news, my thoughts are with the keeper, her family, colleagues and everyone associated with Hamerton. I've just looked on their Facebook page and am sickened to see some of the comments on there, it seems some will stoop to any level and seize on an opportunity to push their agenda! I'm sure the zoo have more to worry about this morning than deleting those comments (some containing words most would deem 'offensive')
new update in the Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...zoo-warned-ageing-barriers-escape-procedures/
Presumably these safety fears related to the original tiger enclosure? I don't think that's currently in use, as the previous residents have died and 2 new enclosures were constructed for the 4 new tigers since 2013
Typical Torygraph accuracy and objectivity! Escape procedures are irrelevant to this tragedy. So is perimeter fencing. There is no mention of safety barriers on the page in the article and I have not been able to find the original on-line, but I think the phrase 'safety barriers' probably refers to the stand-offs between public areas and enclosures - which also have no bearing on this incident.
Agreed, the torygraph / daily mail/Currant Bun will make the most of this tragedy to make a story from it! The BBC giving Travers air time turns my stomach too! Quite why the tragic death of a keeper gives them the chance to say ' close all zoos ' defeats me! Shows them up for what they are, disrespectful, desperate oppurtunists!!
