Child mauled by tapir at Dublin Zoo!!! :(

steddyeddy · 09-08-2013 12:40PM #1

Title does what it says on the tin I'm afraid. A 2 year old girl received serious arm and stomach injuries during a "supervised visit" to a tapir enclosure at Dublin Zoo.

First of all I wish a speedy recovery to the girl involved but I have to ask what the feck was a 2 year old girl doing in an enclosure with a sometimes dangerous wild animal? The tapir has a calf in the enclosure so that makes it more dangerous to be around. Thoughts?

Edit: link attached

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/dublin-zoo-mother-and-daughter-2-recovering-after-attack-by-tapir-29485408.html

MagicMarker · 09-08-2013 12:41PM

What the **** is a tapir?

anncoates · 09-08-2013 12:42PM

MagicMarker wrote: »

What the **** is a tapir?

Looks like an anteater mixed with a donkey.

SEPT 23 1989 · 09-08-2013 12:42PM

http://brucekrasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/tapir.jpg

qo2cj1dsne8y4k · 09-08-2013 12:44PM

Sorry she was hurt and all but she had no business being around a wild animal like that. 100% her parents (or whoever was supervising her) responsibility/fault if they lacked the common sense to keep her out of harms way. Hopefully the animal won't be destroyed, and hopefully you don't see Dublin zoo being sued for someone else's stupidity.

09-08-2013 12:44PM

Wow, if true then Dublin Zoo have a lot to answer for. Chances are that the poor animal might be slaughtered now too.

Das Kitty · 09-08-2013 12:45PM

The tapir only had a calf a week or so ago, it seems like it was very bad timing.

Poor little toddler though, she won't forget that in a hurry.

Rented Mule · 09-08-2013 12:45PM

MagicMarker wrote: »

What the **** is a tapir?

It's like a tracker mortgage.

Das Kitty · 09-08-2013 12:46PM

The keepers do these supervised visits.

shruikan2553 · 09-08-2013 12:47PM

How many tapir attacks are recorded each year? Cant believe i actually asked that...

The animals they use for the petting zoo type things would have been hand reared and used to humans. Although I agree that probably best to move it somewhere else if she had a calf.

Amirani · 09-08-2013 12:47PM

I wouldn't say the animal will be destroyed.

elfy4eva · 09-08-2013 12:47PM

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Sorry she was hurt and all but she had no business being around a wild animal like that. 100% her parents (or whoever was supervising her) responsibility/fault if they lacked the common sense to keep her out of harms way. Hopefully the animal won't be destroyed, and hopefully you don't see Dublin zoo being sued for someone else's stupidity.

According to the press it was a close-up encounter supervised by Zookeepers. If true it's actually zookeepers at fault here. Apparently her mother received injuries too when intervening in the attack

sweetie · 09-08-2013 12:47PM

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Sorry she was hurt and all but she had no business being around a wild animal like that. 100% her parents (or whoever was supervising her) responsibility/fault if they lacked the common sense to keep her out of harms way. Hopefully the animal won't be destroyed, and hopefully you don't see Dublin zoo being sued for someone else's stupidity.

read the article, it was a supervised visit.

steddyeddy · 09-08-2013 12:47PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Wow, if true then Dublin Zoo have a lot to answer for. Chances are that the poor animal might be slaughtered now too.

It wont be slaughtered likely. Zoos are generally sensible when it comes to animals and don't slaughter animals that are dangerous.

Nozebleed · 09-08-2013 12:47PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Wow, if true then Dublin Zoo have a lot to answer for. Chances are that the poor animal might be slaughtered now too.

Hmmmmmm....Bacon.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k · 09-08-2013 12:49PM

Supervised visit or no supervised visit, you'd want to be an absolute thick to put a tiny child in there, with a new mother/wild animal.

Jesus, even a cat would tear you asunder if you were at her kittens a week later.

steddyeddy · 09-08-2013 12:50PM

Dublin zoo has a lot to answer for here aswell.

Tabnabs · 09-08-2013 12:51PM

I'm no zoologist, but a quick google shows that Tapir attacks are not unknown and generally occur when the young are around or nearby.

http://www.igorilla.com/gorilla/animal/tapir_attack_in_Oklahoma_City_PartTwo.html

http://www.tapirs.org/news/interviews/carlosmr-echandi-interview.html

Atomic Pineapple · 09-08-2013 12:51PM

Indeed, the supervising Zoo keepers fault for A) Letting a two year old in with the animal in the first place and

Failing to monitor the visit enough to make sure nothing like this could happen.

No grounds for destroying the animal at all.

Oink · 09-08-2013 12:51PM

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Supervised visit or no supervised visit, you'd want to be an absolute thick to put a tiny child in there, with a new mother/wild animal.

Jesus, even a cat would tear you asunder if you were at her kittens a week later.

Sure what could go wrong when you put a toddler next to a 150-300 kg animal which has just given birth. There are experts around.

tapir bacon hey? mmm.....

SEPT 23 1989 · 09-08-2013 12:51PM

This little girls life has been changed forever and i hope she will be compensated accordingly

tin79 · 09-08-2013 12:51PM

MagicMarker wrote: »

What the **** is a tapir?

Planet express ships favourite nocturnal mammal!

sweetie · 09-08-2013 12:52PM

I can just imagine Tom Dunne doing the voiceover...

Mongarra · 09-08-2013 12:52PM

A Tapir is an animal found mainly in Central and South America and South-east Asia. It is about the size of a pig (according to RTÉ news this morning) and it resembles a small, smooth-skinned, hornless rhinoceros with a snout extended as a short trunk (or like an anteater - RTÉ news again). it is a nocturnal animal.

Chucky the tree · 09-08-2013 12:52PM

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Sorry she was hurt and all but she had no business being around a wild animal like that. 100% her parents (or whoever was supervising her) responsibility/fault if they lacked the common sense to keep her out of harms way. Hopefully the animal won't be destroyed, and hopefully you don't see Dublin zoo being sued for someone else's stupidity.

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Supervised visit or no supervised visit, you'd want to be an absolute thick to put a tiny child in there, with a new mother/wild animal.

Jesus, even a cat would tear you asunder if you were at her kittens a week later.

So it's clearly the zoo who are at fault here. The zoo staff are supposed to be well trained so for them to allow a mother and small child into an area where their is a mother and baby wild animal then it's a shocking mistake on the part of the zoo. I don't think the animal should be destroyed but someone in the Zoo should be sacked.

seamus · 09-08-2013 12:52PM

Parenting/Animals 101:

Children and wild animals do not mix.

Seriously, like. If this was a "supervised visit" organised by Dublin Zoo, then the keeper that allowed the child into the enclosure needs firing.

The injuries sound serious, but they don't sound like anything which will have any permanent effects aside from scars. Hopefully she makes a full and quick recovery.

Oink · 09-08-2013 12:54PM

Atomic Pineapple wrote: »

No grounds for destroying the animal at all.

I don't agree. It should be destroyed on grounds of bacon.

On the other hand, I agree. The experts should be destroyed instead.

token101 · 09-08-2013 12:55PM

elfy4eva wrote: »

According to the press it was a close-up encounter supervised by Zookeepers. If true it's actually zookeepers at fault here. Apparently her mother received injuries too when intervening in the attack

The mother intervened? Where were the zookeepers?? Surely they'd carry a dart gun as a precaution if they're allowing the public hang around with wild animals.

Fratoue · 09-08-2013 12:56PM

Is the Tapir alright?

anncoates · 09-08-2013 12:57PM

With a bit of common sense from the zoo keepers, these attacks will hopefully tapir off.

vitani · 09-08-2013 12:57PM

seamus wrote: »

Parenting/Animals 101:

Children and wild animals do not mix.

Seriously, like. If this was a "supervised visit" organised by Dublin Zoo, then the keeper that allowed the child into the enclosure needs firing.

Maybe the keeper didn't have a choice. It wouldn't surprise me if management 'encouraged' them to keep supervised visits going.

Having said that, there's still no need to have a 2 year old in the enclosure though. It's older children who'd benefit more, and could be trusted to behave more respectfully. 2 year olds would be as excited by seeing cows and sheep.

Child mauled by tapir at Dublin Zoo!!! :(

Comments