Revealed: Damning safety failings at tiger-death zoo
Inspectors had warned about fences before woman keeper was savaged
THE owners of a zoo where a tiger mauled a female keeper to death were warned about safety failings several times over the past decade.
Inspectors had highlighted problems with ageing safety barriers and a damaged fence, and ordered the zoo to amend its escape protocols.
Rosa King, 33, was killed by the big cat on Monday when it made its way into an enclosure where she was working at Hamerton Zoo in Cambridgeshire. Friends described the experienced keeper as a ‘meticulous professional’.
The zoo said her death was a ‘ freak accident’ but made no further comment as it remained closed yesterday while investigations by the police and local council continued.
Witnesses described hearing ‘blood- curdling screams’ as the tiger attacked Miss King, while her colleagues frantically tried to lure it away with chunks of meat.
It is understood she was savaged in the Tiger Falls enclosure, which opened last year for its two rare Malayan tigers Cicip and Sahaja.
But as long ago as 2007, the zoo’s owners were told to improve standards, with a particular emphasis on safety, according to official inspection reports.
When the park was visited by a Government-appointed inspector in August that year, she noted a ‘lack of awareness of current practice’ and ordered a ‘ complete overhaul of all risk assessments and safe working practices’.
But following a further inspection six years later, the park had still failed to implement the condition. The authors of the subse- quent Hamerton report, completed in 2013, again implored the owners to conduct a ‘ wholesale review of the risk assessments’. It is unclear if Hamerton or its owner Andrew Swales made attempts to abide by the conditions.
Miss King, described as the zoo’s ‘shining light’, looked after the big cats for 14 years. Witnesses said she may have been coming to the aid of a fellow keeper.
Zoo inspection reports, obtained under Freedom of Information laws, reveal Hamerton was in the spotlight for a catalogue of management issues. In 2012, inspectors ordered the renewal of ageing safety barriers and a damaged perimeter fence within three months, and said the escape protocol ‘should be amended’ to categorise animals of varying risks.
Zoos are regulated by local authorities across the UK, with no central government database of facilities. Government-appointed vets conduct inspections every three to four years, with annual follow-ups supposed to be under- taken by the local authority. However, records indicate Hamerton has not been inspected in any capacity since August 2015.
During that visit, no mention was made of security issues outlined in previous reports. The inspectors reported: ‘[Animal] escapes have been notified when necessary.’ Representatives of Hamerton failed to respond to requests for comment last night.
Chris Draper, of wildlife charity Born Free, said: ‘From these reports we have no way of determining whether these conditions were ever met. This zoo has clearly not been meeting some safety standards for many years. It is still unclear what happened to Rosa King but this is very worrying.’
This week’s attack came four years after keeper Sarah McClay, 24, was killed by a tiger at South Lakes Wild Animal Park in Cumbria. Miss McClay’s mother yesterday called for a law change, saying: ‘There should not be able to be contact between a tiger and a keeper. We need specific legislation that is policed at a higher level than local council.’
Steven Eyre, a friend of Miss King’s, said: ‘She was dedicated to her job completely and was aware of all the risks. She was very meticulous about everything that she did ... We’re all at a bit of a loss to understand what happened.’
Former zoo volunteer Zach Vaughan added: ‘Rosa took her job very seriously and was always safe. She wouldn’t have gone into the tiger enclosure for no reason.’
The case has been referred to the Cambridgeshire coroner’s office. A spokesman said an inquest will be opened next week.