The Things People Do

[colinh]

From today's Bele Tele. It just goes to prove that tigers, alcopops and teens do not mix very well.

Ulster teen is mauled by tiger

13 July 2006
A teenage girl, thought to be from Northern Ireland, has suffered horrific injuries after being mauled by a rare Amur Siberian tiger in Dublin Zoo.
The girl was attacked after she scaled two fences and stuck her arm into the animal's enclosure.
The 19-year-old, who is believed to have been drinking, first climbed a solid 6ft timber barrier into a service area and then over a smaller 4ft wall before pushing her way through dense vegetation on Tuesday afternoon.
Confronted by a 20ft high heavy wire mesh fence, the teenager stuck her arm into the enclosure to where one of the two female cats and one male was resting.
Parents and children looked on in horror as the tiger lunged at her and grabbed her arm, trying to pull her through the fence.
She was taken to James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Blanchardstown, for treatment.
A spokeswoman for the hospital said she was in a stable condition.
The young woman is believed to have undergone surgery yesterday morning.
It was reported last night that a young man the teenager was with told zoo staff they had travelled to Dublin on the train from Belfast that morning.
He is understood to have said they spent the day drinking before going to the zoo.
Leo Oosterweghel, director of Dublin Zoo, said the tigers, which grow up to 3.5m in length, reacted as they would in the wild.
"The tigers obviously reacted the way tigers would; they are wild animals," he said.
Mr Oosterweghel said the pair were also carrying a soft drink bottle with alcohol in it.
"I suspect their judgment was impaired," he said.
"Her injuries were significant; the tiger really ripped into her arm and must have pulled her arm through when she stuck it in."
Damien Dawson, from Carlow, an eyewitness visiting the zoo with his partner and two children, recalled the attack.
"We just noticed a couple of tigers running towards the corner of their enclosure at a very quick speed and a couple of seconds later we just noticed a young chap coming screaming down the corner of the enclosure pleading for help," he said.
"As we got over closer, we noticed the young girl in a terrible state with blood all over her."
He said at first they didn't know what had happened.
"We got closer and noticed the girl and the injuries; we knew they had come down from the back of the tiger enclosure and the first thing came into my head was that she had been mauled by the tiger," he told RTE Radio.
Mr Dawson claimed it took zoo staff 10 to 15 minutes to come over and a fire brigade unit another 10 minutes.
"She could not stand up, the blood was literally pumping out of her arm," he said.
Mr Oosterweghel said the ambulance arrived within ten minutes and was parked 20 metres from the tiger enclosure.
The tigers will not be put down, he added.
"They are beautiful animals and this was a natural reaction for the tigers if someone sticks their hand through the mesh," he said.

Had she not lived she would have been a definite candidate for a Darwin Award. Should be nominated anyway.

[jamesie]

fuggin silly bint!!!

[colinh]

fuggin silly bint!!! :?

Great story to tell in the pub or on the car park drinking Buckie one handed. Jaysus that made me laugh.

[jamesie]

Mr Oosterweghel said... "They are beautiful animals and this was a natural reaction for the tigers if someone sticks their hand through the mesh," he said

no sh*t?!

that mr. oosterweghel is no dozer

[colinh]

Mind you yer woman from Belfast obviously could not work it out. :)))
And what animals did you see in the zoo today?

[BR]

Had she not lived she would have been a definite candidate for a Darwin Award. Should be nominated anyway.

Given that any bloke hearing that story after casually asking, "So why the hook?" is likely to run a bloody mile. It's bound to reduce her chances of procreation considerably.

[browner]

Now now BR.................it would be handy to hang your strides on.

[atee]

"I suspect their judgment was impaired," he said.

Well obvioulsly! she wouldn't have been in dublin otherwise

[Jackie Brown]

I do worry about the younger generation. WHat an idiot

[colinh]

Just to top it off the Sun were sniffing around Claudy where the girl is from asking people what she was like etc with the usual cliches from where she worked part time etc. But one of her friends said she was up for anything and would do anything for a laugh. That's all very well but you have to kow what you are dealing with.

She is a psychology student. That was her first piece of research. What Siberian Tigers do when you try to pat their noses. They eat you.

[rugbymunchkin]

I feel that I learned a valuable lesson from this girl. On my visit to Dublin zoo on Wednesday I did not decide to climb 2 fences and then proceed to stick my hand through the fence and into the cage! At least we know the medical profession is in safe hands now... at least I still have 2 hands. Honestly if she psychoanalysed herself she'd realise she's a complete nutter!

[Disco Biscuit]

Reminded me of another incident that happened a few years back.

Any of you recall the other buck eejit who got into the lions den at (I think) London Zoo? He thought he was Daniel in the Lions' Den.

Arfur soon made a meal of him. Seeing those pictures back then made me aware of just how big these "big cats" actually are. Arfur had his jaws clamped around your mans middle, holding him up like he was holding up a childs doll.

Total respect Arfur.

[Red Hand Supporter]

She got what she deserved

[jamesie]

"I suspect their judgment was impaired," he said.

Well obvioulsly! she wouldn't have been in dublin otherwise