Zoo Visitor Hospitalised After Tiger Attack

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/murrenkuvat/187535507/

The photo above was taken in a Chinese zoo. Follow up the photo link to learn more.

It has happened again! Always, always an accident waiting to happen. Posing for photographs with big cats should be banned wherever it takes place. The West and Australia are not in a position to point a finger of blame when some of their own collections persist in carrying out the same stupid activity. Big cats should be parent reared, of natural colour and in official internationally recognised breeding programmes.

This latest (reported) incident took place in

Million Years Stone Park and Pattaya Crocodile Farm

Read more about

Zoos in Thailand

And read more about

Playing with and Posing with Lions and Tigers

Now read the news item:

Woman attacked by tiger popular visitor attraction

A shocking incident took place at the popular Million years Stone Park and crocodile farm on August the 11th when a tiger attacked a tourist.

48 year old Pimonpan from Bangkok was doing what thousands of visitors to the theme park do, sitting beside a tiger for a photograph.

The staff briefed her on how to sit however she got up to check the photo, when she sat down again she sat in the wrong spot and put her hand above the tiger's head, this unnerved the tiger who bit her arm and clawed at her face and she was quickly rushed to Bangkok hospital Pattaya where she was treated for her wounds and would spend 3 to 5 days for observation.

The Chairman of the Million Year Stone Park and Crocodile Farm, Suan Panomwatanakul said on the day the woman had sat with a 2 year old white male tiger named Milky had been posing for photographs with visitors for over 6 months now and that this was the first time any thing like this had happened.

Suan said that they would cover any medical expenses and any counseling that Pimonpan may require and stressed that his theme park has strict rules and safety measures for tourists and that they are followed very strictly.
The atmosphere at the theme park

Read Full Story HERE

***

For regular updated Zoo News, Views, Reviews and Vacancies please visit
 Zoo News Digest
on

Please Visit
The Zoo Professionals Book Store
if you are looking for a book. This is an Amazon affiliate and you will get a good deal

also
 you can subscribe to the largest and longest established zoo related ezine
by clicking

HERE

To advertise in Zoo News Digest please see HERE 

Money for Free

If you can write, you can earn. Write about what you like or what you know about. Build up a passive income which will earn you money daily. No catch, no charge. Click on the link below and you could start earning today

The Indonesian Tiger Dumping Plan Stinks

I would not describe myself as a 'green' but true enough the Indonesian Tiger Plan appears not to be very well thought out as I remarked yesterday.

I cannot see how renting out a tiger can possibly curb illegal trade and hunting. I have thought long and hard on this. How?

Renting tigers out as status symbols to the wealthy is no assurance of welfare.

Three monthly visits by 'experts' means little if today they are unable to properly monitor the way tigers and other species are kept in some Indonesian zoos.

Size of enclosure does not matter so much as management, hygiene and quality of space.

Being wealthy does not bestow brains so there really is no assurance of 'good food'.

So they are going to be allowed to breed? Animals can be handed back when the novelty wears off? This puts me in mind of "a dog is for life not just for Christmas." Animals are not cars or clothes. They need 100% commitment. If one of these people is prepared to become another John Aspinall then fair enough I approve but it does not sound like it. It smacks of a get rich quick scheme with little thought behind it. They want to start the scheme 'as soon as possible'. Why? Why? Is there some zoo somewhere which is desperate to unload tigers? Which zoo? Why are they holding so many? Have they not heard of breeding management? Are they getting a cut of the cash? Or have they run out of pokey lttle slum zoos on which to dump surplus? - Peter

Photo By:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/tambako/3839554557/

Indonesia's tiger adoption plan angers greens

An Indonesian government proposal offering rare Sumatran tigers up for adoption by wealthy citizens has drawn scorn from environmental activists, who say it's the wrong approach to conservation.




There are only 400 Sumatran tigers left in Indonesia, where deforestation has destroyed much of their native habitat and they are hunted for traditional medicines and illegal menageries.



Tiger "adoption" -- where a pair can be rented out as pets in exchange for a 1 billion rupiah ($107,100) deposit -- could help curb illegal hunting and trade, a Forestry Ministry official said on Friday.



"There are many orders from rich people who want them, who feel if they own a tiger they are a big shot. We have to take concrete steps to protect these animals," said Darori, the ministry's Director General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation.



The tiger "renters" must allow visits at three-monthly intervals by a team of vets, animal welfare officers and ministerial staff.



The animals will come from those already kept in captivity, and must be given cages with minimum dimensions of five metres high, six metres wide and 10 metres (16 feet by 19 feet by 32 feet).



"That's almost as big as my house," said Darori. "And because these people are rich, they will definitely give them good food."



The tigers will remain state property and will be returned to the state if they are no longer wanted, he said. Any cubs the tigers produce will be the property of the state.



Darori said he had received complaints about the plan from 12 environmental NGOs.

"So we have invited them for consultation before we continue with this plan. If we can agree, it will be put into practice as soon as possible," he said.



Greenpeace's forest campaigner, Bustar Maitar, said the plan was tantamount to selling

Read Full Story

Check out the Zoo News Digest FACEBOOK Page