Tiger maulings remind people to follow rules

TIGERS at a wildlife park in Beijing attacked two women on Saturday after they got out of their car. Park rangers went to their aid within seconds, but they were unable to save one of the women. The tragedy reminds people that they should never ignore safety rules, said an article on the website of People’s Daily:

It seems there is a tendency to blame the wildlife park, thinking there are loopholes in the management and the zoo did not do a good job of protecting people.

However, objectively speaking, getting out of a car in the park where you know there are tigers and there are signs warning you not to, is rather foolish to say the least; even children and teenagers should know the risks, never mind an adult.

We should not blame the management for people’s own recklessness. All the security measures are established on the basis people observe the animals from within their cars or from inside the park buses. If visitors do not comply with instructions, they are the ones putting their own lives at risk.

We cannot magnify the responsibility of the management, but ignore the fact that one of the women got out of the car, reportedly because she was having an argument with her family, and walked round to the other side of the car, where a tiger pulled her down and dragged her away. The other woman got out of the car to go to her aid, but was attacked by another tiger. How can the management be held responsible for such rash behavior!

Before blaming the zoo, we should reflect on the women’s actions against the park’s rules.