Denver Zookeeper Dies From Jaguar Attack
Pastor Dale Morgan
Denver Zookeeper Dies From Jaguar Attack*
Sunday February 25, 2007 12:31 PM
By CHASE SQUIRES
Associated Press Writer
DENVER (AP) - Police and zoo officials were investigating what led a
140-pound jaguar to maul a zookeeper to death in the doorway of its exhibit.
The cat was fatally shot when it approached emergency workers trying to
save the woman, zoo officials said.
The zoo closed after Saturday's shooting. It planned to reopen Sunday,
but the feline building was to remain closed, officials said.
``We are deeply saddened by this loss,'' zoo President and CEO Clayton
Freiheit said in a statement. ``This keeper was a part of our family and
we too are grieving the loss of one of our own.''
Zoo officials did not know how the attack occurred or what prompted it,
spokeswoman Amy Sarno said.
Their investigation may center on how the jaguar encountered the
zookeeper. Under zoo policy, staff cannot be in any large cat exhibit
when the animal is there.
The zookeeper had undergone regular safety training for the exhibit,
shadowed veteran keepers and attended mandatory safety meetings,
officials said.
The jaguar, a 6-year-old male named Jorge, was shot by a zoo employee
and the public was never at risk, according to the zoo. The cat had been
at the Denver Zoo for nearly two years.
The zoo added a 16-month-old female jaguar named Caipora in December,
according to its Web site. The female was to be paired with Jorge when
she was old enough.
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On the Net:
Denver Zoo: http://www.denverzoo.org