(Untitled)

[cat63]

Took a random trip to the zoo today. Turned out to be a bit more exciting than I’d expected - after I’d been there an hour or so an announcement came over the tannoy asking all visitors to go to the nearest building as there had been an escape

Comments

[rhiannon_s]

after I’d been there an hour or so an announcement came over the tannoy asking all visitors to go to the nearest building as there had been an escape…

Someone had got out without going through the gift shop?

[cat63]

:)

[sammason]

Is the gibbon all right?

[cat63]

I believe so, though I forgot to ask. Shame on me :(

[sammason]

No shame please. Here's one of your excellent photos.

[cat63]

I feel bad that I forgot to ask after the gibbon, though I imagine they'd have mentioned if it was hurt - and I expect the keepers would have been upset , too, as they all seem fond of the animals.

[jaelle_n_gilla]

Freeeee Williiiiie!!!!!!! Run, Gibbon, run!!!

Oh well, I guess he would not have liked the urban outdoors.

We were once in the Karlsruhe zoo and one of the baby tigers had gotten out through a hole in the fence that only the small ones could slip out of. A lot of visitors stood around watching the free little cat in the bushes near her mother on the other side of the fence. Then a ranger came, picked the baby tiger up, slung it over her shoulder and carried it back in through the food flap :) Quite a sight. Mommy Tiger took it all very calmly waiting for the little one to be brought around again eventually.

[cat63]

Poor mama must have been worried :( Glad it ended happily!

No, I don't think gibbons would like the Uk countryside much - bit cold for them for a start. Be quite something to wake up to a gibon dawn chorus though!

[jaelle_n_gilla]

The tiger mommy seemed quite relaxed about it. She kept an eye on her baby but didn't even get up to greet it when it came back in on the other side of the area. I'm guessing it wasn't the first time one of her babies ran for freedom :)

There is a guided tour through our local zoo one of these days where they talk about "imported species". We have some raccoons running wild here who were imported as "pets" and escaped. We have budgies flying wild, and some canary and parrot species that survive the cold. I like it when I see them but I guess it's not so good for the local fauna.

[lachan]

wow, what an adventure!

Alas, in our Zoo (Cologne), some time ago, Papa Tiger escaped, because somebody did not do a proper job locking the habitat. It hasn't been loose in the visitors' area, but still in some enclosed space still confined and for the ' keepers.
Anyway, said tiger, who was very protective of Mom Tiger and the three babies, attacked one Zoo keeper, maimed her, and so, in order to get to the poor keeper (the same who had not locked the door properly) out and first aid ASAP, the Zoo director saw no other way than to shoot the tiger for killing. He succeeded, but the keeper was already beyond help.
So, this day, one person and one tiger killed, while in the visitors' area, the show went on as usual (ie, they did not spread the news there).

Oh, here is an online article about it. And when you scroll down, there is a youtube footage there where you can actually see the three tiger babies.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2193505/Cologne-Zoo-Female-zoo-keeper-killed-tiger-escaped-enclosure-gate-wasnt-closed-

[cat63]

I think I recall hearing about that at the time. So sad :(

[lachan]

Yes. It is very sad. for the keeper and her family, but also for the tiger family. :-(((
As an annual ticket holder, I knew the tiger family very well.
I actually think that the two adult tigers rubbing heads in affection at the end of the video footage were Daddy and Mom Tiger. Because there was only one pair of adult tigers in the habitat.
It broke my heart to see Mother tiger looking for Daddy during the days afterwards, and the three half-orphaned babies....

[cat63]

Yes, I meant sad for both.

If anything, sadder for the tigers, because - and I mean no disrespect to the keeper or her family - tigers are far rarer...

It's ironic also that the tiger died because he was defensive of his family - in the wild, the male would saunter off after mating and never see his cubs at all.