An animal trainer performing at a "Dinner Zircus" at Hamburg's Hagenbeck Zoo was mauled by three tigers last night. Der Speigel reports: "Around 150 guests had just started their four-course meal when the 28-year-old Christian Walliser stumbled and lost control of five Bengali tigers. Three of the animals then jumped on their trainer. The big cats bit into his head and upper body, and he lost part of his left hand. Some of the circus team managed to push the animals into a corner using water jets and fire extinguishers, and then got them back in their cage within seconds." Zoo director Stephen Pagels said that the tigers only wanted to "play" but that, "Unfortunately the thin skin of people is not suited to these kinds of playful attacks." Quite so. Walliser is currently hospitalized in critical condition. Two audience members were treated on the scene for shock. Dinner circus just sounds like a bad idea.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
8
The tigers went tiger!
Before the near-fatal pounce, the tigers were heard to roar "Allah Akbar!"
I seem to recall at the DC zoo there was some kind of emergency thing to bust out in case of large cat escape. I was always dubious as to efficaciousness of whatever was in there. Now I know it's just a fucking fire extinguisher, but, if used in conjunction with water jets, it just might work.
Hannibal Lecter always saves a place at the head of the table for Siegfried and Roy.
I'd be curious to know how many people just kept right on eating.
Did the guests get their money back because of this mauling, or did they have to pay extra?
That mental image is making me laugh and laugh.
Orcas play with seals, too. Before they eat them whole.