Talk about stupidity...
Subject: Tiger Cubs Sustain Injuries
I just withdrew the gory details. It will be in the papers, no doubt. But how anyone could let the cubs in a place near the father without full protection is incomprehensible. makes you wonder what their priorities are - fund raisers or ???
Absolutely disgusting.
Chicago Tribune: "The animals are Amur tigers, the biggest cats in the world and an extremely endangered species.
On Monday afternoon, Kenneth Kirstein, the regional veterinary medical officer from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was at the zoo to investigate the incident and study the zoo's procedures to check for violations of federal animal safety statutes. The zoo also is conducting its own investigation."
A cub merely put his paw through a set of bars and this happened. I think it's safe to say something is awry with the safety procedures. Absolutely disgusting.
Official Staement.
Tiger Cubs Sustain Injuries
We are extremely sad to report that the tiger cubs born here (on May 25, 2007) sustained injuries this morning (Thursday) in an off-exhibit holding area.
The injuries occurred between 8:00 and 8:15 a.m. Keepers were working nearby but did not witness the incident. Staff believes that the injuries were sustained as a result of the interaction between the cubs and their father, Robeki, who was in an adjoining enclosure. The cubs were immediately taken to the zoo's on-site animal hospital where veterinarians were able to fully assess each tiger's condition before surgery.
Both cubs suffered injuries to their tails. Additionally, one cub sustained injuries to her front right leg that resulted in the surgical removal of the limb. Veterinarians felt that this course of action was in the animal's best interest to ensure future freedom of movement. According to veterinarians, large carnivores can adapt well to this type of injury.
The cubs will most likely be off exhibit until next spring. Once their wounds have healed, the cubs will be put in close proximity to the mother. Evaluation of the off-exhibit facilities has begun in order to ensure that similar incidents can be avoided in the future. A thorough inspection of all holding facilities was completed for the recent Association of Zoos and Aquariums accreditation process that is required once every 5 years to maintain AZA membership. AZA accreditation was granted to Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo on September 16, 2007.
According to Chicago Zoological Society (CZS) protocol, the Amur Tiger SSP Coordinator and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) were all notified of the event, and a statement was released to the press. You may encounter guests, volunteers, or other crew members with difficult questions about this situation. If you receive questions that you are uncomfortable with or unable to answer, please direct those inquiries to the Public Relations Department at ext. 8314 (Amy Walgren); ext. 8328 (Josh Mogerman); or ext. 8254 (Lucy Greer). Inquiries can also be sent by email to AmWalgren@BrookfieldZoo.org or JoMogerm@BrookfieldZoo.org.
My question: Is this a faulty enclosure that should have been spotted and corrected by the AZA or is it the misuse of an unsafe enclosure by the people who care for the cubs. It has to be one or the other. This is totally unacceptable.
Oh my God, that is so awful and sad. That is just the limit.
Since male tigers in the wild are solitary and leave the mother and cubs, it seems to me this was foreseeable. They said he was reacting to "something" entering his cage. Well.
I've read their PR stuff and somebody has been canned or switched somewhere ele in the organization. The question remains, did the AZA inspection notice this faulty enclosure and ask that it be corrected, or not? If they did and it was still being used, then CZS is solely at fault and those responsible should probably not be in charge of any animals. But if AZA didn't see this in their big hotshot inspection, then the AZA and CZS need to ask "Why not?" Something didn't work right. One thing for sure, they have been less than accurate in their public description of what the wounds were, and that casts doubt on everything else they say.
The Chicago Zoological Society staff is deeply saddened to report the death of the four-month-old male Amur tiger cub. The cub died while recovering from anesthesia during follow-up treatment for injuries suffered in an incident on September 27. Veterinary staff was with the cub and attempted to resuscitate him.> The cub's injury was the result of an interaction with his father, Robeki. Staff believes that the cub reached into a small opening in the door separating him from Robeki, who was in an adjoining enclosure. The adult tiger damaged the cub's foreleg. It is suspected that both the male cub and his female sibling sustained injuries to their tails when their mother, Tiara, attempted to get them away from the door. The female tiger cub continues to recuperate in the Animal Hospital and the veterinary staff remains cautiously optimistic. She is displaying normal tiger behaviors and a healthy appetite (in fact, she has gained 6 pounds in the last two weeks).> The animal care staff, and all the staff at Brookfield Zoo, mourn the death of the cub. Since animal care is our primary responsibility and priority, a detailed internal assessment was launched immediately after the cubs were injured. CZS staff has assumed full responsibility for the incident. As a result of this assessment, as well as other information learned during the investigatory process, we have taken appropriate action including staffing changes for the area and updating the institutional housing policies for young carnivore species.> We are committed to the highest standards of animal care and will continue to take whatever steps are necessary to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future. If you have any questions, please call the Public Relations Department at 708-688-8328 or 708-688-8351.
They can stuff it. Who got fired? That is what accountablity is in the real world.
Received today - 10/18/07 from the zoo:
Donald---
My apologies for the delay in responding to your email. With everything
going on during this incident, it got lost in my inbox. Normally, I try
to respond within 24 hours...
As you know, we hold Brookfield Zoo to a very high standard of care for
the animals that live here---and so your concerns are also shared by the
entire Chicago Zoological Society staff. Certainly, no one is saddened
by this event more than the professionals who cared for the tiger cub.
As a result of this incident real changes have already been made: the
management staff of this area has been changed and new procedures have
been put in place for handling young carnivores. Additional changes to
training and procedures are also on the way.
Feel free to contact me directly with any other questions or comments.
J
_________________________
Josh Mogerman
Web Projects Manager
Chicago Zoological Society
www.BrookfieldZoo.org
The Wildest Place on the Web
708/688.8328
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