(TH) Tiger mauls New-Zealand tourist in Thailand

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Tiger mauls New-Zealand tourist in Thailand

 

January 26th , 2009

 

From our WFFT wildlife correspondent

A captive female tiger called Nong Pancake at the Chiangmai “Tiger Kingdomâ€

severely mauled a Kiwi tourist that visited the zoo and wanted to make a picture

with the tiger as a holiday souvenir. The 150 kg heavy predator attacked Mrs.

Ruth Colette when she sat down to pose for a picture with the tiger. The tiger

was irritated as Mrs. Colette was one of the many tourists wanting to experience

the photo session. Staff were not capable of preventing the attack, which left

large and deep scars on both legs of the tourist who needed 54 stitches.

 

Opened last year in Mae Rim, Chiang Mai, following the growing tourism with

petting tigers in Thailand, the “Tiger Kingdom†advertises “playing and

touching the perfect tigers in the cageâ€.

 

 

From the Tiger Kingdom Website:

 

Do the tigers bite?

The tigers at Tiger Kingdom are hand reared and are very well trained. But they

are still wild animals and so need to be respected. The tigers are often playful

and may want to play with you. They do play rough though and so could bite when

they are playing.

 

Is it dangerous?

The tigers do not want to hunt you or to hurt you. The staff are very well

trained and are there to help you as well as to look after the tigers. Their

main job is to ensure your safety.

 

 

From the W.F.F.T.

The tiger is clearly not to blame for this incident. It did not choose to be

held in captivity, or to be used as a photo-prop. It is just doing what is

natural for a tiger. The Tiger Kingdom claims “The tigers do not want to hunt

you or to hurt you. The staff are very well trained and are there to help you as

well as to look after the tigers. Their main job is to ensure your safety.†As

at the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi, it is likely that Mrs. Collette was made to

sign a disclaimer, relinquishing the petting zoo from any responsibility in the

case a tiger does bite.

 

 

Edwin Wiek

WFFT