Focus on conservation, not retribution

No matter the tragic circumstances, you can almost guarantee that when an animal is involved in a human’s death, the public outcry for its own demise will follow very swiftly afterwards.

But the belief that ‘a life for a life’ is the only way to deal with the situation is not only inappropriate most of the time, but it is also impractical and applies a generalisation to a situation where often many other factors apply.

Thankfully, in the case of the mauled zoo keeper at Hamilton Zoo, common sense has prevailed.

Samantha Kudewah, 43, of Pirongia, was attacked and killed on Sunday morning by Oz, a Sumatran tiger.

The senior zoo keeper, a mother of two, had worked at Hamilton Zoo for more than 20 years.

This animal-lover knew and adored animals and by all accounts was a huge advocate for the conservation of endangered species. There are barely a couple of hundred of these majestic animals left in the world. It took more than 24 hours after Kudewah’s death for the Hamilton City Council to rule out Oz being euthanised as a consequence of the attack.

In that time, thousands signed petitions asking for Oz’s life to be spared and did so with no disrespect to Kudewah’s life.

They simply recognised that the horrendous situation was just that; a tragedy for the zoo, for Kudewah’s colleagues, friends and family, but not some type of pre- meditated, vengeful attack by an animal acting out.

It was a tiger being a tiger and doing what predatory creatures do if the situation presents itself.

There’s a reason tigers are kept behind protective glass and fencing, and aren’t free to roam around the zoo at their own desire.

Kudewah, of all people, would have known the risks that working with these large cats posed.

She also would have accepted that there was no such thing as wild animals getting a ‘‘taste for blood’’.

He’s a tiger, he attacks his prey. His prey is whatever he perceives as threatening him or available to attack.

Calls for retribution should be quelled; the focus should be put on shining a light on the incredible work Kudewah achieved in her career, while ensuring her memory and legacy continues.