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Tiger attacks 3 workers at Tochigi safari park; one loses hand

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Correction 3rd para: “fine” should be “often” - Regards.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

oK, I’ll play along. Must be difficult Living in Tokyo, thinking the rest of the is always worse and Japan is infallible.

But the truth is Japanese zoos, shopping mall animal encounters and aquariums have an absolutely deplorable history of exotic animal exploitation for profit, abuse & neglect under the guise of ‘conservation’.

These exotic animals and sea mammals are more often poached for their body parts, or captured & sold for profit, fine from less-than-reputable sources in “third world countries..”. Worse yet, they are removed from areas that are supposed to be for research and wildlife conservation.

Japan only contributes to the problem by creating a demand for more and then, being unable to care for them or give them a sizable refuge to flourish.

Perhaps investing that money in those “third world countries..” *and rewarding conservation in the natural habitats would be the one, truly altruistic endeavor.

*- @TokyoLiving 11:06am: “Go to third world zoos.. Japan zoos are not bad, no drama here..” -*

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Again with “*no drama here..” ? Japan zoos are not bad,” ?? Go to third world zoos..” - *No, look at Japan ONLY as this story is about JAPAN’s repeated failures with these imported animals:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3334842/Trapped-concrete-prison-66-YEARS-heartbreaking-tale-Hanako-elephant-spent-lifetime-Japanese-zoo.html -

… and the previous elephants and large animals were starved to death during WWII as:

we were afraid they would escape during the air raids and become a danger to the general public.”
-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Don't go blaming the animal, as it was doing what it does naturally. Too bad that someone's carelessness got people injured.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

TokyoLivingToday  11:06 am JST

How unfortunate for the workers, I hope everyone can recover and also the tiger.. Many accidents in sanctuaries and zoos with big cats are due to overconfidence and poor handling..

Zoos in Japan are generally pretty horrible for the animals.

Go to third world zoos..

A lot of them are really horrible, Japan zoos are not bad, no drama here..

So you're saying it's not a big deal because conditions in third world developing countries are worse.....you're comparing Japan, the 3rd largest economy in the world, to third world countries as proof that zoo conditions in Japan aren't that bad. That's an incredibly weak argument to justify terrible conditions in Japanese zoos. They should be held to a much higher standard than those of third world countries. And yes, the zoos in Japan are some of the worst I've ever seen.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

The notion that once a animal tastes humans flesh or blood, it will crave it from that point on is a myth. There is no scientific evidence to support it.

It depends on the nature of the attack and specific behaviors. If it stalked, attacked and tried to feed on a human then wildlife authorities may decide to put it down based on its aggressive behavior not based on it having tasted human flesh or blood.

If an animal attacks to protect its young, if it was startled, if its mating season, etc., then in most cases, the animal will not be put down.

Tigers are naturally aggressive and territorial.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

How unfortunate for the workers, I hope everyone can recover and also the tiger.. Many accidents in sanctuaries and zoos with big cats are due to overconfidence and poor handling..

Zoos in Japan are generally pretty horrible for the animals.

Go to third world zoos..

A lot of them are really horrible, Japan zoos are not bad, no drama here..

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Zoos in Japan are generally pretty horrible for the animals.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

These facilities take terrible care of their animals. I’m not surprised. Tigers are beautiful from a distance but I wouldn’t want to get up close with one. Especially a pissed off one.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I'm sorry for the woman who lost her hand and the other two injured people. But let's face it, TIGERS AREN'T CUTE! Especially when they're hungry or irritated.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I wish they can somehow reattach her hand...

I really wonder how things went down this way given the extreme safety measures

which are always taken in Japanese facilities...that tiger must have been enraged for some very good reason...

also...starting the year of the tiger with a tiger attack...that is quite an omen...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Japanguy...

Will she get her hand reattached with surgery?

Very unlikely as it was eaten by the tiger.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Does not bode well for the year of the tiger. Not the negligent staff.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I remember visiting this zoo in a car. It was scary.

Will she get her hand reattached with surgery? 

I have seen a documentary where a person gets artificial hand, which has similar senses as a real hand. 

Now the Bengal tiger tasted human blood, I am sure it will try to do again.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

Suspicions have now been raised that point to mismanagement

Suspicions? I’d say mismanagement was a given. This was a bengal tiger and not a tabby cat. It’s like working with electricity. You never trust anyone else. You make sure! It’s hard to imagine the mental and physical trauma of having your hand bitten off by a tiger.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

The police are investigating if there were any flaws in keeping the animal at Nasu Safari Park in Tochigi Prefecture, after its operator said it had failed to confirm that the tiger was in its fenced enclosure the previous day.

I think the question has already been answered then.. A young woman has lost her hand due to someone's mistake.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Losing one of your hands must be shocking.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Most zoo workers are at fault, they shot a tiger in the US, the worker stuck his hand in the fence, and the tiger would not let go

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The zookeepers are all injured, one severely, the other two were significantly injured. One of the female zookeepers, mauled by the tiger, had her right hand bitten off. A second female zookeeper was bitten in several areas of her body. The male zookeeper had an injury to the back of his head.

The tiger was not in its fenced enclosure as expected but in the corridor leading to an exhibition area when it came across the keepers and attacked them.

Suspicion points to mismanagement.

According to a park manual, keepers must check that the fence to the tiger's cage is closed after it has been led back inside once exhibition is over.

But the fence was not checked on Tuesday, and the tiger was in the corridor the following morning, said the operator.

At the park in 1997 and 2000, there were also incidents involving keepers being attacked by lions.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

How were the workers in an area where a tiger could launch an attack and why isn’t this explained in the article?

I think it was explained. I got the impression they were trying to release the cat from one secure area to another, but that the gate separating the two areas malfunctioned preventing it from being operated from the 'safe' side of the enclosure, requiring the keepers to enter the enclosure to operate the gate manually.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Why do animals have to be in cages? If there are not enough open spaces to keep them safe and happy send them back to where they belong.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Just think? Once you deviate from the planned procedures that you have in place the inevitable happens! It seems as if they had a planned that they executed often and so did the tiger because as soon as they deviated from their plan the tiger executed his attack. They usually refrain from being in the same space as the tiger, but on Wednesday, due to problems with part of the doors, one of the keepers apparently entered the cage, the operator said.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

In Japan, animals are considered ‘property’ of the owner(s).

Just because an animal looks "Kawai" does not mean that it will always behave in a way that a human wants it to.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Agree with @Tokyo-m 5:25pm. - In Japan, animals are considered ‘property’ of the owner(s). With such incidents again coming to light outside the facility, what number of animals have also met there demise inside?

@Tokyo-m 5:25pm: “Using animals for entertainment is wrong. Of course the tiger will try to get free.” -

1 ( +3 / -2 )

The owners and operators of the facility are another matter. There is obviously, ongoing negligence that has resulted in injuries to humans. Who knows what number of similar, ‘unreported’ cases may have occurred in the last 20 years ?

*- “At the park in 1997 and 2000, there were also incidents involving keepers being attacked by lions.” -*

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Hoping the three workers can recover quickly and not give up trying to find productive work in wildlife conservation.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

They are incarcerated, from their natural environment.

previous incidents is a concern..

Get real!

Natural instinct is to attack.

wow!

I can’t believe it.

But i sincerely hope for a full recovery,

fot keepers..

4 ( +5 / -1 )

No paper tigers here

0 ( +3 / -3 )

NHK reported the story very differently. They said the tiger was not in the pen it was supposed to be at night so the keeper was surprised when he entered the "safe" space to find a tiger. The other two keepers entered on hearing screams.

There was no comment from the tiger.

22 ( +22 / -0 )

Put the tiger down, it already attacked humans once, it'll do it again for sure.

-30 ( +8 / -38 )

Puts a new spin on the year of the tiger

9 ( +10 / -1 )

I hope the tiger is ok, and they didn’t put it down, due to human error

20 ( +25 / -5 )

Best news would be tiger returned to its natural environment 3 workers find gainful employment overseas.

0 ( +11 / -11 )

Not the best kind of news to have at the beginning of the year, hopefully all 3 victims will recover completely.

9 ( +14 / -5 )

Hope the Tiger is ok.

Me, too!

13 ( +19 / -6 )

Considering the poor conditions that many wild animals in Japan's zoos live in, I am not surprised that does not happen often.

17 ( +26 / -9 )

How were the workers in an area where a tiger could launch an attack and why isn’t this explained in the article?

-1 ( +10 / -11 )

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