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Lion Bites Arm of off Female Employee at Busch Gardens in Florida
Tampa Bay Online ^
| May 12, 2002
| The Associated Press
Posted on 05/12/2002 4:22:23 PM PDT by aculeus
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A male lion bit the arm of a 21-year-old zookeeper Sunday at Busch Gardens, severing it at the elbow, park officials said.
The woman was escorting her family on a behind-the-scenes tour of the theme park, officials said.
The 12-year-old, 350-pound lion named Max attacked the woman through a bar-style fence and was never out of his secure area, said Capt. Bill Wade of the Tampa Fire Rescue.
The woman, whose name wasn't released, was flown with the severed limb to Tampa General Hospital by helicopter.
She is listed in serious condition, a hospital spokesman said. It was unclear if an attempt would be made to reattach the arm.
Zoo officials said they had not decided what to do with the lion.
AP-ES-05-12-02 1902EDT
TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: Florida
KEYWORDS:
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To: Sabertooth
21
posted on
05/12/2002 4:38:14 PM PDT
by
Shermy
To: Tall_Texan
I heard the girl's name was gizelle.
22
posted on
05/12/2002 4:38:38 PM PDT
by
blackdog
To: ExpatGator
LOL!
23
posted on
05/12/2002 4:39:07 PM PDT
by
cmsgop
To: sourcery
Reno had nothing to say.........
24
posted on
05/12/2002 4:40:30 PM PDT
by
cmsgop
To: aculeus
Lion Bites Arm of off Female Employee at Busch Gardens in FloridaThe AP or TBO needs an editor.
To: aculeus
They gotta stop these personal tours. Remember Sharon Stone's husband got his foot bit by a Komodo dragon on a personal tour for his birthday.
To: Squantos
something like "watch this" and "here kitty kitty" was said at some point...Kind of like the redneck's last words: "Hold my beer. Hey y'all... watch this!"
To: ExpatGator,sourcery
You guys are sick.
Love it!
28
posted on
05/12/2002 4:45:17 PM PDT
by
watcher1
To: Sungirl
I feel sorry for the woman...but I hope they don't kill the lion. Just put the lion back in the wild or a more secured cage so it can go crazy like the rest of them.That lion has no chance of surviving in "the wild" as you suggest as a solution. It is in a "zoo-like" atmosphere for a reason. Think about it. This lion was probably born in captivity.
or a more secured cage so it can go crazy like the rest of
Sounds to me like is was a secure enough area for the lion to live. From the article it sounds more like the female employee was careless. As far as a lion "going crazy" is an an ignorant statement. I would not classify lions' behavior as "crazy." Aggressive by instinct would be a more correct statement. These are large, dangerous animals whether in captivity or in the wild and they should be treated as such; with extreme care and respect for their strength and intelligence; unlike some Freepers I see replyng to threads.
To: aculeus
I used to work there, many moons ago, and used to be amazed
at how relatively close you could get to the big cats
behind the scenes. I say relatively because I could walk up within
about 7 or 8 feet of them but still have at least 3 layers of fencing between us.
Sounds as if she must have gone all the way around the first two and
up to the last fence.
The best was being able to get up close to American Bald Eagles
who were there due to injuries. Awesome sight!! Oh, and then there was the two cases of beer
a month you were issued, of course I did the issuing and was edjumicated
in public skools so my siferin was a bit off when it was time to load mine.
To: ExpatGator;PsyOp
ROFLMAO
To: aculeus
Why does this always seem to happen to young girls? I've heard this happen so many times before with zoo employees. If it were any other industry, the employer would be sued to death.
Do you all know that these young girls don't make squat for wages? I knew a girl once that worked in a zoo. They do it for the immage, not for the pay.
To: nunya bidness
Yep that was in "Curse of the Cat People" ...."Putting out Fire with.....Gasoline!"
33
posted on
05/12/2002 4:50:23 PM PDT
by
dennisw
To: aculeus; dighton; babylonian
To: Mini-14
Lions shouldn't be kep in zoos in the first place. They are wild animals and should be left in the wild.Habitat is disappearing for many large cats.
Some are truly endangered and zoos / preserves offer the best hope against extinction.
IMHO, there are other uses for these magnificent critters besides exhibition for curious tourists.
For example: the state could use them as a means of executing those convicted of violent rape or child molestation. Just cast the scum, naked and defenseless, into a pit with these carnivores, then let nature take its course.
To: ExpatGator
Not sure about that, the arm was obtained by less than legal means. On a related note, in an unprecedented move the ACLU filed suit against the lion for violating the zookeeper's civil rights. It is believed to be the first time the ACLU has filed suit to defend a person's second amendment rights.
36
posted on
05/12/2002 4:51:25 PM PDT
by
NerdDad
To: summer
Why this is all Gov Bush's fault.Hosted by JackThompson1.
To: mamelukesabre
I knew a girl once that worked in a zoo. They do it for the immage (sic), not for the pay. It must be true. She definitely has a new image now.
To: cmsgop
Oh, my. I was page downing, and missed your introductionary comment, so I spent a good minute squinting at the picture trying to figure out what it was. That is too cruel.
Haven't seen that shot before, only the one on the way down.
To: summer
And, now, I guess we can expect Janet Reno's news conference at 11PM re: Why this is all Gov Bush's fault.
Call Marion Berry... disenfranchised voter found!
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