Lion Attacks and Kills His Trainer at Zoo

Hey all, hope everyone had a happy and SAFE new year.

I was watching the news this morn and read that a lion escaped from his enclosure, and proceeded to attack and kill his trainer.

So what do you think happened here? From what I understand about lions (I could be wrong), they attack when they feel threatened or their "pride" (family) feels threatened. Or they're hungry.

The woman killed was his trainer or caretaker so what was there to feel threatened by? One would presume the lion was also well fed.

I just don't understand these types of attacks to their caretakers.

Do you think he may have been playing, but given his strength did not realize the damage be was doing, I think that is what happened to a tiger's trainer in Vegas (can't remeber his name), the trainer was not killed but the tiger was killed, sadly.

I dunno, these types of stories break my heart, for both the person killed (mostly), the animal killed, and those who employed the person and cared for and loved the animal.

This should NOT have happened!

I think it's the story of the scorpion and the frog. The scorpion kills the frog who gets it safely across the water, saying it's his nature.

It's not in a lion's nature to be held in captivity, nor trained by humans, nor even around humans. We are just another animal to them. A beautiful antelope would be taken down just as quickly, and to the lion, we are no different. We are just food for a lion.

Remember what happened to Siegfried & Roy, when the lion attacked Roy Horn, after many years of working with, and training the lion. Roy has never performed publicly again.

If it is the one I am thinking of she was a new intern at the zoo. The lion enclosure was being cleaned and the lion escaped his enclosed pen and killed her. Should not have happened but I guess someone made a mistake.

Never forget these are wild animals with the animal instincts.

You're right LHG, so right. I feel badly for these animals taken away from their natural environment, and for what?

Research, money?

Yeah it was Roy who I was referring to in my post, I thought it was a tiger who attacked him.

I just read the Lion who killed the woman was actually born in the zoo and in captivity there for 20 years.

The enclosure was not secured properly so was able to escape from it.

I also just read that they are more inclined to attack when kept in captivity versus out in the wild.

A man just reported that when out in the wild, he's had lions run away from him.

So so sad all the way around.

If it thishttps://www.google.ca/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/12/31/us/lion-escapes-intern-family/index.html

The lion was 14. Almost no male lion makes it to 20. Max age is 14 or 15. Which is average for a cat .

Cats, lions included, are the world's biggest ***holes. The reason I don't put humans as #1 is because, unlike cats, not every single human being makes it their mission in life to take as many souls as they possibly can. The only reason my cat Xavi hasn't killed me is because I can confidently say I'd demolish her in a fist fight. So, yeah, I have little doubt the lion had every intention to merc that poor woman the moment it pounced.

As for the ethics of zoos, it's a tough one. I used to be entirely against the concept (still not a fan of going to one myself), but while it s past is pretty damn dark, the industry has adapted itself to at least to some extent be an aid to conservation and thus, depending on how you feel, makes zoos either a fun day trip or is a necessary evil. They help provide revenue to conservation efforts and also play a pretty big hand in fostering interest in animals and animal / biological sciences. Kinda like how we might look back and ask why Steve Irwin was going around ****ing with crocodiles and bear cubs, yet I can near guarantee you if you were to ask even the biggest bleeding heart of a veterinarian, they were his #1 fan as a kid.

Similarly, for as disgusted I am and probably most others are with the concept of trophy hunting, many legal platforms of it result in the meat being donated and revenue going toward local or governmental anti-poaching efforts.

Cats, lions included, are the world's biggest ***holes. The reason I don't put humans as #1 is because, unlike cats, not every single human being makes it their mission in life to take as many souls as they possibly can. The only reason my cat Xavi hasn't killed me is because I can confidently say I'd demolish her in a fist fight. So, yeah, I have little doubt the lion had every intention to merc that poor woman the moment it pounced.

 

Well how would you like it if you were kept cooped up in some enclosure instead of roaming about in your natural habitat? Yes no doubt these animals are very angry, and frustrated, etc so this ^^ is not surprising to me.

Especially since their nature, their instinct, is to kill for survival.

Also, the reporter today said that whenever he's been in the wild, he has had lions and other wild animals run away from him; from what I understand they attack when feeling threatened or hungry.

In this lions case, my guess is he's become very very angry, frustrated, etc from being help in captivity the way he has when his nature is to roam and be free.

So yeah, when he had the opportunity to attack, he took it.

I blame the zoo for this for not making sure his enclosure was properly secured.

Again, this should NOT have happened.

Cats also have a prey drive. You run they chase.

I think it's the story of the scorpion and the frog. The scorpion kills the frog who gets it safely across the water, saying it's his nature.

 

It's not in a lion's nature to be held in captivity, nor trained by humans, nor even around humans. We are just another animal to them. A beautiful antelope would be taken down just as quickly, and to the lion, we are no different. We are just food for a lion.

 

Remember what happened to Siegfried & Roy, when the lion attacked Roy Horn, after many years of working with, and training the lion. Roy has never performed publicly again.

I agree. We shouldn't expect loyalty from wild animals. They weren't made to be held captive and be trained and though it might seem they have an affective relationship with their trainers/owners, one should never trust that they won't snap and act on their animal instincts. It's their nature. Which is why it makes me so nervous those shows where trainers put their heads inside the leon's mouth or watching people cuddling lions or other carnivore wild animals.

This also makes me very sad for the victim, the animal and everyone somehow involved.

I had a cat in high school and she loved me very much and was very snuggly. But once in a while, she would get into a weird (playful?) mood and suddenly attack my arm. I'd look at her (she was barely 7 pounds) and laugh and she'd run away. I've always said that housecats are big cats trapped in little bodies. If your pet cat was the size of a lion or tiger, I absolutely think they would kill you if they had the chance. They can love you or be used to you and be tame 99% of the time, but sometimes they just attack. I feel bad for that young woman.

So what do you think happened here?

It was a lion behaving as a lion, not out of character.