The tiger keeper’s death is dreadful, but we need zoos more than ever
the appalling death of zookeeper rosa King, mauled by a tiger at hamerton Zoo in Cambridgeshire, has inevitably led to criticism about keeping big cats in captivity. there are people and organisations who think tigers, and all wild animals, should be free in their natural habitat. their argument fails when it is pointed out that these animals’ natural habitats are under threat from the most dangerous species on the planet — humans. We are destroying the natural world at an alarming rate. tigers are killed for body parts to supply the insidious Chinese medicine market. it is a sobering thought that there are just 4,000 tigers left in the wild and an estimated 12,000 in captivity. in an ideal world, tigers should be free. the reality is that we need captive breeding in zoos and wildlife parks to conserve these beautiful creatures. What we also need is strict enforcement of standards to ensure that adequate enclosures and veterinary oversight is maintained. Most good zoos comply with these rules. Virtually all captive tigers are zoo-bred and not taken from the wild. i am so very sad for rosa’s family. From all accounts, she was dedicated to the animals in her care. But i hope her death will not be seized on to criticise zoos. DON TOWNSHEND,
Chelmsford, Essex.