Anteater attacks zookeeper in Argentina
Pastor Dale Morgan
*Anteater attacks zookeeper in Argentina*
11 Apr 2007 19:42:51 GMT
Source: Reuters
BUENOS AIRES, April 11 (Reuters) - An anteater attacked a young
zookeeper in Argentina, ripping open the woman's abdomen and legs with
its long claws and leaving her in critical condition, a doctor said on
Wednesday.
This female anteater apparently attacked her keeper at a Buenos
Aires-area zoo to protect her offspring.
The unusual attack damaged the zookeeper's stomach, liver and lungs,
said Jose Potito, director of the hospital where the woman was being
treated.
"The woman's condition is very serious," Potito told local TV channel
America.
Anteaters, which can measure up to 9.2 feet (2.8 meters) long and weigh
as much as 110 pounds (50 kg), are native to Latin America and have
toothless snouts.
They are usually not aggressive, but their long, knife-like claws can do
serious damage to predators when they defend themselves.
A worker at the zoo described the attack as an accident and said the
animal was not punished in response.
Anteaters are endangered, according to the Argentine Wildlife
Foundation, which uses the distinctive-looking animal as its symbol for
protecting local species.