I’ve been busy with some other projects and have not commented on the most recent tiger attack at a zoo in San Antonio. It sounds to me that it was a keeper error and after doing a search–that is what was revealed.
Jeff Tierney, a zoo keeper who has worked at the San Antonio Zoo for five years, was attacked by Berani a male Sumatran tiger a week ago. Reports were that he was critically injured and flown to University Hospital, where he remained in intensive care Sunday but now is stable…and as of this writing has been released.
Tierney was in the outside enclosure when the tiger attacked him. Most captive animal attacks are due to human error. Sumatran tigers are small, dark, and aggressive when compared to some of the other species.
In general, the smaller the animal, the more aggressive. Although many professional animal keepers are instructed in safety protocols there are ample opportunities for errors–which can sometimes be deadly.
Tierney was released July 21, 2007. Zoo statements about the tiger attack in San Antonio in this video said it was a “simple mistake” which I don’t agree with. It could have been a deadly mistake but at least the keeper had pepper spray on hand.
You can find my additional comments on animal attacks at https://www.arkanimals.com
Tiger Attacks & Human Errors
Texas Zoo Keeper Recovers, Errors Made
USDA Investigate San Antonio Zoo Tiger Attack
