ZOO WORKER’S DEATH SPARKS SAFETY DEBATE
National regulatory standard needed, experts say
The death this month of a keeper who was attacked by bears at Shanghai Wild Animal
Park has triggered discussion over safety management at zoos.
On Oct 17, the victim was dragged away by a bear before being attacked by a group of other bears in the park’s wild animal zone, an area in which visitors must remain in their vehicles.
Some visitors witnessed the incident, according to local media reports.
Zoo and animal protection experts said that in 2010, national forestry and park authorities began to prohibit close interaction between animals and visitors to zoos and aquariums, but this regulation was not implemented well.
In 2017, a regulation was introduced, stipulating that animals must be kept at least 1.5 meters from visitors at zoos through various means. These included installing safety rails between the public and animals’ cages, enclosures and ponds.
However, in some instances, such as allowing visitors to tour wild animal zones in their vehicles, the regulation was ignored.
Experts said a compulsory national standard to regulate zoo operations, including safety management for both visitors and workers, should be put in place.
Hu Chunmei, head of the Saving Performing Animals Project, said, “The ultimate way to prevent a repeat of such tragedies is to minimize interaction between animals and people at zoos and keep them sufficiently far away from each other.”
The Saving Performing Animals Project is run by the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation, an NGO based in Beijing.
Hu suggested zoos switch from being interaction- oriented to instilling public awareness to better keep people safe and protect the animals.
According to experts, reduced interaction between animals and people also helps lower the risk of zoonotic diseases being spread.
Zone closed
On Friday, Shanghai Wild Animal Park said it was cooperating with the investigation into the accident and would take the initiative in coping with the aftermath of the incident.
The venue said it deeply regretted the keeper’s death and apologized to visitors who witnessed the incident.
The wild animal zone was closed immediately after the attack and the park has not said when it will reopen.
Local media reports said the keeper saw a digger operator working at a temporary construction site in the zone leave the vehicle after it broke down.
After the keeper entered the zone to persuade the operator to return to the vehicle, the bears attacked.
Experts said wild animals may experience tension and become frightened in a noisy environment and, as a result, attack humans or other animals. Such attacks are usually unpredictable.
Netizens said that although there was a degree of individual blame for the incident, the zoo should also assume responsibility for the tragedy.
They said that as it is fully aware of the potential threat posed by wild animals, the park should equip its workers with proactive gear, such as chili sprays and anesthesia guns, to cope with cases of emergency.
An Xiang, director of Beijing Dexiang Law Firm, said that in signing the contract with the construction company, the park was obligated to prevent potential injury to workers from animal attacks, as it had a close understanding of the working environment and the animals’ habits.
According to An, who is also deputy director of the Beijing Lawyers Association Civil Law Professional Committee, the main aim of safeguarding against danger is always to prevent it and not wait until something happens and then take action.
He added that emergency responses should always be in place “in the event of front- end measures not working”.
Such measures should be based on zoology and species as well as the animals’ habits and characteristics, he said.
An added that the family of the keeper who died is entitled to obtain compensation in accordance with the Labor Law and work injury insurance regulations.
“The premise of the public going to zoos is their trust in the latter that their safety is not at risk. Zoos should balance the fierce nature of their animals and people’s safety. In an industry with a relatively high risk, zoo operators must show enhanced management levels,” he said.
Since 2014, there have been 18 such safety incidents in China, resulting in three deaths and 11 injuries, according to the Saving Performing Animals Project.
On July 23, 2016, a tourist got out of her car in the tiger zone at Badaling Wildlife World in Beij i ng and was attacked and dragged away by a Siberian tiger.
The woman’s mother rushed from the vehicle to help, but was attacked and killed by another tiger. Her daughter survived.
Experts said allowing visitors to enter such zones in their cars or in zoo buses poses a safety risk.
Some of the buses used by zoos and parks are no different to those plying long- distance routes, as they have basic glass windows. Others are equipped with wire mesh on the windows, but visitors can still reach out to feed the animals.
In September, Xin Shuangqi and his 4- year- old son boarded a mesh- windowed bus at Shanghai Wild Animal Park. Xin said the driver stopped in the bear zone for visitors to feed the animals from the windows.
“It was obvious the bears were used to requesting food from people in the buses. They circled our vehicle and some bears even chased after it when we left,” said Xin, who comes from Shanghai.
“At the time, I was deeply worried, because if they had stood up, the bears would have been very close to us.
“I don’t think I’ ll visit such a zone in this way again,” he said.
Experts said that even feeding plant- eating animals in public zones may pose a safety risk to visitors. For example, zebras, which can easily become nervous and frightened, may suddenly kick out and hurt people.
The premise of the public going to zoos is their trust in the latter that their safety is not at risk. Zoos should balance the fierce nature of their animals and people’s safety. In an industry with a relatively high risk, zoo operators must show enhanced management levels.”
Animal knowledge
Zoos should focus more on knowledge about their animals to enable visitors, especially children, to learn about the inmates’ behavior in the wild, such as how they hunt for food and their interaction with family members, the experts said.
However, some of them said animals’ behavior in the wild will never be replicated in zoos.
Qin Xiaona, founder of the Capital Animal Welfare Association, which is based in Beijing, said animals’ real- life behavior that children read about in books can only be seen in their natural environment. Exhibiting animals in venues such as zoos also goes against the laws of nature.
She said more technology, including virtual reality and artificial intelligence, should be used to portray animals’ lives in the wild vividly and in detail.
“Moreover, a considerable number of animals in domestic zoos are brought from other continents, which destroys the orderly natural development of the animal world and natural environment,” Qin said.
More than 40 countries, mainly those in Europe, have banned the use of wild animals for performances, Qin added.
An Xiang, director of Beijing Dexiang Law Firm