Excerpt of article and interview with Diana L. Guerrero (Chicago Sun Times) September 10, 2004

The following is an excerpt from the Chicago Sun Times and parts of the interview with author and animal behaviorist, Diana L. Guerrero. Visit the link for the complete article.
A co-worker once asked Nancy DeFiesta which of the lions she helps care for at the Lincoln Park Zoo was "the meanest.'
DeFiesta, 60, a veteran zookeeper, was taken aback.
"There are no mean lions,' she said. "Some are just more aggressive than others.'
On Thursday, DeFiesta got a painful lesson in just how aggressive they can be, as she was attacked by one or more of Lincoln Park Zoo's three lions, weighing 250 to 425 pounds each.

Copyright Chicago Sun Times 2004 Continued from link below...

Excerpt from interview with animal expert, Diana L. Guerrero:

What makes an animal attack?

Unfortunately there are a lot of reasons for animal attacks. Without knowing the circumstances surrounding the incident at the Lincoln Park Zoo it is difficult to comment or pinpoint the cause. It is impossible to speculate before all the information is in. Animals remain wild--a fact we forget and there are many factors that contribute to animal attacks.

First, there is a mistaken belief that wild animals are like domestic pets. Domestic animals have been bred for cooperative behavior for thousands of years. Even if a wild/exotic animal has been bred and reared in captivity with the best of circumstances and handling, they still remain wild animals with innate behaviors and instincts. Territorial behavior, competive behavior, and other natural instinctive behaviors can escalate in the right circumstances.

Let me give you an illustration using a common problem faced by domestic animal owners. Many pet owners feed their pets at the same time every day. This creates anticipation and stress in the animal. (Stress is not always bad and is present in many situations.) The cat or dog may vocalize excessively, jump or paw, or run in circles while the food is being prepared--or prior to delivery.

In a captive facility, such as a zoo, this manifests as pacing behavior or increased aggression. The animal may exhibit strong possessive behavior over the food or the behavior could escalate much in the same way it does in pets--amplified by the vigor and size of the creature. In the right circumstances the animal could present greater danger to the handler or caretaker.

Why did the lion attack his zoo keeper?

Again, it is hard to speculate without all the information. I would suspect that there was a human or equipment error since the lions were in the main exhibit at the same time the keeper was. In most facilities, the animals are kept separate from the the humans unless they are trained and handled intentionally in an educational presentation where they are handled by a professional trainer. Most animal incidents can be attributed to human error or equipment failure.

In this situation, it is my understanding that the keeper was sixty years old. I am not aware of many zoo keepers or trainers of that age. The heavy demands of the job require fast reflexes and good fitness to manage the animals.

The good news is that the staff onsite had the training and expertise to get the keeper out of the moat/exhibit, to discreetly move the public away from the area, and used the right techniques to distract the lions away from the keeper and into a safe holding area.

Don't zoo keepers go through training to handle animals?

The profession of zoo keeping has gradually developed into the dream job of many animal lovers. In the past, zoo keepers were merely considered as glorified janitors. Now collage programs specialize in the trade and offer degrees in the field. It is estimated that 78% have related degrees to the profession now.

The professional organization known as the American Association of Zoo Keepers, Inc. began in 1967 in San Diego, California. It promotes professionalism in zoo keeping through the education of zoological staff members in the most innvoative modern and current techniques of captive exotic animal care. AAZK provides resources and continuing education for the animal care professional and supports zoo and aquarium personnel.

AAZK members strive to be the best animal caretakers possible. Even so, every zoo or animal facility has different job criteria standards and their own selection processes for personnel.

Do you have personal experience with animal attacks?

Yes, unfortunately I have witnessed numerous attacks over my career. I have also viewed video tapes to assess what actually transpired prior to and during incidents. I've been fortunate to not be injured by an animal. What I have summised over the years is that:

Most attacks are telegraphed by the animal prior to escalation.

Human error is involved in many cases.

Equipment failure is responsible in some cases.

Lack of mitigation or failure to have outlined protocol and staff training on handling incidents complicates situations--and can escalate them.

Community rescue and support agencies need to be included in training and cooperative agreements in the event of an incident.

-END-

 More links and information can be found at http://www.arkanimals.com/dlg/lion_attack.htm