Argentine zookeeper dies after anteater attack

***Sim*** · **Argentine zookeeper dies after anteater attack** 13-04-2007

From the SMH:

Argentine zookeeper dies after anteater attack

Quote:

A young Argentine zookeeper who worked on a giant anteater conservation project has died after she was attacked by an anteater who mauled her abdomen and legs with its sharp front claws.

"Her injuries were very serious and when she was admitted she was already in critical condition," Jose Potito, director of the hospital, said.

Potito said Melisa Casco, 19, died after an operation to amputate one of her legs.

Casco worked at the Florencio Varela zoo outside Buenos Aires as part of a conservation and reproduction project involving endangered giant anteaters.

The zoo was closed on Thursday and not available for comment, but a zoo worker yesterday described the attack as an accident.

Zoo workers told local media they did not see Tuesday's attack on Casco. Different reports said the anteater was male, or female, and may have been protecting offspring or was in heat.

Anteaters, which can measure up to 2.8 metres long and weigh as much as 50kg, 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.

patrick · 13-04-2007

bizarre! i think this was the zoo that i went to when i was in buenos aires.
i even went just to see the anteater!!!!

Pertinax · 13-04-2007

shows that even a comparatively harmless creature can potentially be dangerous.

Zooish · 14-04-2007

That's unusual, giant anteaters are usually placid. One of Singapore's keepers got slashed on the hands by an anteater last year but the wounds were not deep, didn't even require stitches. The anteater attacked because she was startled while sleeping.

To read of such a vicious attack, its really bizarre as patrick put it!

Writhedhornbill · 14-04-2007

I heard that a tapir attacked a zoo keeper. It bit her arm when the keeper went too close to the baby. Shocking!! I always thought that tapirs and Anteaters were nice. Anteaters are becoming more common in european zoos.

Zoo_Boy · 15-04-2007

malay tapirs are shocking- happened at taronga years ago, whole story, basically keeper wasnt educated on species, and she had only worked with brazilians, malay tapir mauled her, she was seriously injured, completely her own fault

patrick · 16-04-2007

i read the argentine zookeeper is still alive (albeit in a critical condition) in a different report. was thhis older news perhaps?

Pertinax · 16-04-2007

[quote=Zoo_Boy;11226]malay tapirs are shocking-

I never new that... I've seen many phtos of Brazilians being stroked, petted by their keepers etc but now I think of it, never a Malayan. Now I know why.

Zoo_Boy · 16-04-2007

i ahve been in with with wpz tapir, so kool, the older male there just sat as i patted him all over

yea this story of taronags tapi aint well known, but malayans all over i belive are very vicious

patrick · 16-04-2007

not mine. i keep him with my anteater.

Writhedhornbill · 17-04-2007

Do you have a tapir? I love them and have adopted one at Chester zoo.

Zooish · 17-04-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoo_Boy

malay tapirs are shocking- happened at taronga years ago, whole story, basically keeper wasnt educated on species, and she had only worked with brazilians, malay tapir mauled her, she was seriously injured, completely her own fault

Not the ones in Singapore! They're the sweetest. In fact Malayan tapirs are often the first large wild animal that student zoo volunteers get to interact with. The worst our tapirs have ever done was shower a poor volunteer with pee!

Having said that, our female tapir is heavily pregnant now and the male does get a bit agitated when the keepers get close to her, but not to the extent of attacking. As with any animal, reading warning signs is important and knowing when to back off.

Writhedhornbill · 17-04-2007

Aww baby tapirs are cute. I saw one at Edinburgh about 2 weeks ago. Will you post some pictures of the baby

Panthera-leo · 01-04-2008

when i did work experience at Taronga they told me that the tapirs were very dangerous and had even bitten off a keeper's arm/fingers? in the US. they were also classed as dangerous in the information i was given as part of the carnivores unit. it was very interesting experience, the keeper had trained the mother to allow them to put eye cream on her and then a fly net. i wasn't allowed to go near them and the keepers had minimal contact with them. Not my most favorite animals i got the job of cleaning out their inside pool and i filled a green trolly bin full of ****. i stunk the rest of the day.

PAT · 01-04-2008

When did you do work experience? I would love to but didn't get in at melbourne.

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