Animals don't know you love them.

[urbpan]

Animal lover mauled to death after entering cheetah cage at Belgian zoo



Animal lover mauled to death after entering cheetah cage at Belgian zoo

The Associated Press
Monday, February 12, 2007
BRUSSELS, Belgium

An animal lover was mauled to death by cheetahs at a zoo in northern Belgium, authorities and zoo officials said Monday.

It was unclear why Karen Aerts, 37, entered the cheetah cage late Sunday, Olmense Zoo spokesman Jan Libot said. She was found dead in the cage, Libot told VTM television.

Aerts, from the city of Antwerp, was a regular visitor to the zoo, which is 90 kilometers (55 miles) northeast of Brussels.

One of the cats that killed her was named Bongo. Aerts had adopted Bongo under a special program, paying for food for the cat, Libot said.

"Karen loved animals. Unfortunately the cheetahs betrayed her trust," he said.

Police said they were investigating why Aerts entered the cage, but ruled out any foul play.

They believe she hid somewhere in the park after it closed and managed to find the keys to the cheetah cage.

Animal rights group GAIA called for the immediate closure of the zoo, saying it was unsafe for both visitors and for the cats it is home to.

Rudy Demotte, Belgian minister responsible for animal welfare, has sent a team of inspectors to investigate.


Thanks to wtf_inc for the link.

Comments

[vesme.livejournal.com]

"Karen loved animals. Unfortunately the cheetahs betrayed her trust," he (Jan Libot) said.

What? It's a cheeta. She was part of a program in which she bought food for the animals. She wasn't an attendant at the park, and even if she had been someone the cheetas had some familiarity with, they're wild animals.

How can someone say they betrayed her?

[signsoflife.livejournal.com]

No kidding. That just rubbed me the wrong way as well.

Even if it had been her lifelong pet, I would have said, "it's a wild animal, it's incapable of betrayal." But at least that sentence would make SOME sense.

'Unfortunately the cheetahs betrayed her trust.'

[vampyrusgirl.livejournal.com]

Yes, those bastards! How dare they??

We recently had some people go over the rope near coyote, and down the back road. They were caught behind jaguar with their fingers in the exhibit mesh, trying to call them over/pet them. Unfortunately, they didn't get hurt. I wasn't there that day, but from what I heard, it was a whole family or something, and when confronted, they said it was only a rope, so they walked over it. There's now a work order in for a fence.

Re: 'Unfortunately the cheetahs betrayed her trust.'

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Brilliance. We had to wait until some kid got their face pecked before we were able to get a fence put in front of the crow cage.

[elainetyger.livejournal.com]

It was unclear why Karen Aerts, 37, entered the cheetah cage late Sunday

Because she was crazy?

But not as crazy as people who want to shut the zoo down for being unsafe. I hate the idea that anyone who breaks and enters could have the same rights or considerations as people who are invited to stay.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

My thoughts exactly.

I don't understand why someone who is stupid AND CRIMINAL must be prevented from hurting themselves--especially if she somehow had a key!

[wirrrn.livejournal.com]

Hey,

I'm sorry for her, but she entered the cage with a large, wild predator, what did she think would happen? Hope they don't euthanize the cat...

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

She thought that the cat would know her (I'm sure she spoke to it every day in a sing-song voice that made the keepers want to strangle her) and love her and cuddle here and understand the deep spiritual connection they share.

I can't imagine they'll euthanize any of the cheetahs--the species is too genetically valuable.

[wirrrn.livejournal.com]

Hey,

The Cheetah at the Perth Zoo was raised from a cub by people, so she actually won't eat unless she's hand fed by her keepers. But I still wouldn't go in there on my own...

[plantgirl.livejournal.com]

Wow. Silly sorry twit. How can anyone say the zoo is unsafe for visitors if this woman had to hide to stay in past visiting hours, steal keys, and enter a locked cage? Where I'm sure she expected "her" cheetah to know she was different and special, and treat her with that special cheetah love.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I'm sure that was exactly her thought process.

Any place is unsafe if you steal the keys to the rooms full of dangerous things, go in and deliberately get yourself hurt!

Big Cat Attacks Are Escalating

[(Anonymous)]

The following is a partial listing (796) of incidents involving captive big cats since 1990. These incidents have resulted in the killing or deaths of 234 big cats, 69 human deaths, more than 243 human maulings, 214 exotic cat escapes and 363 confiscations. http://www.bigcatrescue.org/big_cat_news.htm

To see a video of the mauling of a zoo keeper in 2006 go to http://www.bigcatrescue.org/animal_contact.htm

The Journal of Internal Medicine in 2006 estimated that 50 million people worldwide have been infected with zoonotic diseases since 2000 and as many as 78,000 have died. Read more about zoonotic diseases here: http://www.bigcatrescue.org/zoonosis.htm

To see the number of exotic cats abandoned each year go to http://www.bigcatrescue.org/animal_abuse.htm

To view a trend chart that shows the alarming escalation of big cat incidents here: http://www.bigcatrescue.org/Flash/BigCatBans/BigCatBanCharts.htm

The U.S. represents less than 5% of the entire global population, but 67% of ALL captive cat incidents occur in the U.S. Likewise, Florida represents less than 6% of the U.S. population while 13% of all U.S. incidents occur in Florida. California and Florida boast the most comprehensive sets of regulations allowing private ownership of exotic cats while ranking #3 and #1 respectively in the highest numbers of big cat killings, maulings and escapes. To view photos of fatal injuries from cases reported in the American Journal of Forensic Medicine click http://www.bigcatrescue.org/laws/AMJForensicFeline.pdf

Carole Baskin, Founder of Big Cat Rescue

Re: Big Cat Attacks Are Escalating

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

This is excellent. I'm going to repost it at my animal_attacks community!

[ssejooz.livejournal.com]

How do you "manage" to find keys to an exhibit???

[miekec]

They believe she hid somewhere in the park after it closed and managed to find the keys to the cheetah cage.
Animal rights group GAIA called for the immediate closure of the zoo, saying it was unsafe for both visitors and for the cats it is home to.

Hm, let's see.... Someone hides, steals and does something stupid that gets her killed. Illegal and insane. And that makes the whole zoo unsafe why?
Sigh. Poor cats.

[dragonwrites.livejournal.com]

actually, animals do know that you love them. and they know that makes you tastier :P

(i should talk. in my salad days i once tried to move a large snapping turtle off a bike path with my bare hands--mistake--and another time i came within a few feet of petting a wild skunk.)