Zookeeper bitten by gorilla at Tokyo zoo

The police are involved? Shouldn't the zoo just review it's procedure. Health and safety of staff. And what? Put the gorilla back in it's cell?

As Cricky said - Why would the Zoo report it to the police?

I would have thought it came under workplace accident or the like.

Gorillas in Zoos - that's the source of the problem. No further investigation is needed.

Maybe the gorilla was having a bad day.

Best to keep some kind of a barrier between people and a powerful creature like that.

I hope they're both OK.

maybe gorillas don't like being locked up?

I just watched an interesting series on Nflix.

It happened to be about monkeys and wild dangerous animals.

Got to give them the respect they deserve. Gorillas are no exception. Hope the zoo keeper will recover.

Biting is entirely natural for a gorilla, although in the wild they will usually employ every intermediate tactic possible to avoid physically attacking an opponent. It is not only animals that bite, but humans too, especially children, and there is of course the famous Mike Tyson incident.

The only real problem here is the close proximity in unnatural conditions. I suppose some in-house procedural regulation meant that any accident had to be reported, and maybe her insurance will kick in. Let's hope her wound was not too deep, and that they do not punish the gorilla.

Why would the Zoo report it to the police?

Insurance maybe.

Monetory rather than animals issues, I get that.

She works daily with animals in a zoo, was bitten, and this made the national news?

She works daily with animals in a zoo, was bitten, and this made the national news?

*The zoo is investigating how the employee and the animal came into contact as *it usually does not allow humans and animals to be in proximity

I've been to Ueno Zoo and seen the way they keep their animals - it's like a Victorian hell hole in places... animals pacing as they go mad with boredom and being in enclosed spaces. When I saw the gorilla it was curled up in a ball... apes need the company and comfort of their families, not being alone to be gawped at through glass. I'm sorry the keeper was bitten, but I'm not surprised.

I've never liked zoos or other animal parks or sea life centres.

Zoos in Japan run the gamut but the basic problem is that there aren't laws or a system of accreditation in the country to to regulate, monitor and evaluate animal welfare management, although that seems to be changing and hopefully much improved by the time of the Olympics. That said, there is never a situation you want to be in an enclosed area with a full grown gorilla. They are as dangerous as mammals come and this one was probably just overly excited to see his keeper. She's lucky to still have an arm.