Posted on 06/09/2014 2:00:25 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Vet mistakenly shoots zookeeper wearing gorilla suit during escape drill
A gorilla hides behind a tree at the Loro Parque Zoo in Puerto de La cruz in Spain's Canary Island of Tenerife in this April 15, 2008 file photo.
Tenerife: A vet accidentally shot a tranquiliser dart into a zookeeper wearing a gorilla suit.
The shooting took place during a drill inside Loro Parque Zoo in Tenerife, Spain, when the veterinarian was apparently unaware that the gorilla on the loose was in fact an employee wearing a suit, agencies reported.
The victim was shot with a tranquiliser dart with a dose meant for a 180-kg ape. The zookeeper was wearing the costume as part of a drill simulating the escape of a captive animal.
Similar drills are standard procedure at zoos, but it appears the vet was totally unaware of the ongoing exercise and shot the suited employee in the leg. Due to the massive injection, the zookeeper suffered an allergic reaction. He was then taken to University Hospital of the Canary Islands, where he was reported to be in serious condition.
It's not the first time Loro Parque (Parrot Park) has been rattled by controversies.
The park has been under the public glare over its in treatment of orca whales. On Christmas Eve 2009, a whale attacked and killed a trainer during a practice session, which fanned opponents of orca captivity.
The Vet was lucky the gorilla didn't have a concealed carry permit.
Hold muh beer.....
Yeah I’m with you - I think he forgot to check if the gun was loaded, and is trying to cover for it by saying he was uninformed. Why’d he have the tranq gun in the first place, the drill would have been in the morning briefings to all staff for days if not weeks in advance.
Al Franken, always fooling around!
I just watched “The Pink Panther” on TCM, with Peter Sellers.
The scene at the costume party with the gorilla was
hilarious.
Oh, who hasn’t done this?
What’s even worse than that is mistaking a real escaped gorilla for someone in a suit, and tweaking its nose, Three Stooges style.
This guy is going to get seriously razzed by his fellow gorilla suit pals.
Damn, and I thought I was the only vet that made aberrant shots. I hate this when it happens.
A little late on the post my friend. I sent this story around to friends last week.
Still hilarious though.
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