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Feline Attacks
The following is a partial listing of incidents
involving captive big cats since 1990. These incidents have resulted
in the killing of 70 big cats, 46 human deaths, and more than 150
human injuries.
May 22, 2002/Mayagüez, Puerto Rico:
A 12-year-old boy was scratched on the hand by a jaguar at the Mayagüez
Zoo when he reached inside the jaguar's cage.
May 15, 2002/Romania: A 3-year-old
girl was mauled by a 9-month-old lion tied up outside of a shop.
The girl, who had tried to play with the lion, required hospital
treatment for cuts to her chest, belly, and buttocks.
May 12, 2002/Tampa, Fla.: A 350-pound
African lion at Busch Gardens ripped off the arm of a zookeeper
standing next to the lion's cage while she was giving a private
tour to her family. The attack occurred shortly after the zookeeper
had fed the lion pieces of meat during training exercises.
April 28, 2002/Pickens County, S.C.:
According to the Post & Courier, a "pet" tiger was
quarantined for biting an 8-year-old boy in the leg after the tiger
had been given a bath. The tiger is normally kept in a metal cage
in the backyard.
March 6, 2002/Vienna, Austria: While
visitors watched, three jaguars at the Schoenbrunn zoo attacked
and killed an employee as she was preparing their food and injured
the zoo's director when he tried to rescue the zookeeper.
February 15, 2002/Pahrump, Nev.:
Animal exhibitor Karl Mitchell shot and killed one of his tigers
after the animal became frightened and escaped his control while
being moved to a new residence.
February 3, 2002/Loxahatchee, Fla.:
A woman was hospitalized in critical condition with a skull fracture
after she was attacked and bitten by a 750-pound declawed tiger.
The woman had been painting in preparation for a photo shoot at
Steve Sipek's private animal compound.
January 24, 2002/Gentry, Ark.: Two
animal handlers at Wild Wilderness Drive Thru Safari were attacked
while transferring cougars between cages. One handler received multiple
bites on an arm and leg, and the other was bitten in the face.
January 16, 2002/Pickering, Canada:
A 500-pound tiger used for photo ops with small children and strippers
snapped her tether, escaped, and wandered in the streets near Toronto,
alarming residents. More than half a dozen police cruisers and a
helicopter were dispatched to locate and recapture the tiger.
December 9, 2001/Davie, Fla.: A 7-year-old
boy was taken to the hospital for stitches after being attacked
and bitten "bone-deep" on the neck by a 40-pound declawed
African serval at a PepsiCo International picnic. The child was
walking by when the unattended serval leaped on him and knocked
him to the ground. Pangaea Productions was hired to bring the serval
and other animals to the event to be used for entertainment.
November 2, 2001/Pahrump, Nev.: A
man was severely injured by a tiger while visiting a private residence.
The man was bitten on the arm when he was allowed to feed the animals
and required more than $160,000 in medical care, including reconstructive
surgery. A lawsuit was filed against tiger owner Annette Grabowski
and her companion, Paul Mason, for negligence and against Nye County
for failure to take action despite a previous biting incident.
October 22, 2001/Lyons, France: A
lion belonging to a circus and being used in a film escaped from
the film set and was discovered near a children's home. The lion
was shot and killed.
October 21, 2001/Kunming, China:
A zookeeper was mauled to death by a tiger as she entered the cage
to feed the animal.
October 10, 2001/Lee County, Texas:
A 3-year-old boy was killed by one of three of a relative's "pet"
tigers as he was about to have his picture taken with the animals.
The 250-pound tiger snatched the boy from the arms of an adult,
clamped down on his leg, and dragged him around the enclosure, causing
head injuries. The tiger was beaten on the head until he released
the boy's foot.
October 6, 2001/Wuhan, China: A lion
at a drive-thru animal park attacked and injured two tourists. A
mother and son were throwing live hens to the lion from the open
window of a bus when the lion grabbed the boy's arm and dragged
him out through the window. The mother was scratched as she tried
to rescue her son. As punishment, the lion will spend the rest of
his life in a small cage.
October 3, 2001/Pittsburgh, Pa.:
A "pet" African serval escaped for the fourth time in
two years (see August 3, 2001).
September 26, 2001/Paris, France:
A lion escaped from his cage at Zoo de Vincennes and ripped open
a zookeeper's carotid artery during an attack, killing him.
August 16, 2001/Quitandinha, Brazil:
A trapeze artist with the Imperial Circus of Mexico had an arm amputated
after he was attacked by a lioness while helping a worker feed her.
August 11, 2001/Sydney, Australia:
A lion trainer was "thrown around like a rag doll" by
two lions during a performance. The trainer was hospitalized for
several days in serious condition with puncture wounds to his chest,
back, arms, and buttocks. Emergency workers used fire hoses to push
back the lions so that the trainer could be rescued.
August 3, 2001/Pittsburgh, Pa.: A
42-pound "pet" African serval alarmed the neighborhood
after he escaped and ran loose for the third time in two years.
The serval was undernourished when he was re-captured a month later.
July 31, 2001/Center Hill, Fla.:
A 500-pound tiger mauled and killed a man making cage repairs at
a roadside zoo called Savage Kingdom. The man had suffered a fatal
bite to his neck and severe injuries to his head, arm, and ribs.
The tiger was later shot and killed by zoo workers.
July 27, 2001/Racine, Minn.: A 2-year-old,
400-pound white Siberian tiger was destroyed for rabies tests after
he bit a 7-year-old girl. The tiger had escaped from a cage at a
roadside zoo called B.E.A.R.C.A.T. Hollow and attacked the girl,
inflicting two puncture wounds that became infected. The tiger was
stuffed and mounted.
July 11, 2001/Africa: British film-maker
Nigel Marven was mauled by a hand-reared lion while filming a show.
The lion clawed his leg and tried to bite his head.
July 11, 2001/Moscow, Russia: A leopard
reached through the bars of his cage at the Krasnoyarsk Zoo and
mauled a 4-year-old's neck as she posed next to the animal for a
photograph. The girl was hospitalized and required surgery.
June 29, 2001/Valladolid, Spain:
A zookeeper was mauled to death by four lions at a zoo when he moved
the animals into another part of their cage and accidentally left
their cage door ajar.
June 25, 2001/Nashville, Tenn.: The
Nashville Zoo was evacuated after officials found a cheetah wandering
outside of his pen. The cheetah was shot with a tranquilizer dart
and recaptured.
June 13, 2001/Kazan, Russia: A Siberian
tiger was shot and killed by police after he escaped from a zoo
and attacked a keeper. More than 700 officers and a helicopter searched
for the escaped tiger for more than four hours.
May 23, 2001/Michoacán, Mexico:
Two lions belonging to the Hermanos Rodriguez Ayala circus escaped
from their cages during a severe rainstorm. The lions caused panic
among local residents before police and circus workers recaptured
the animals.
May 2001/Douglass (Berks) Township, Pa.:
An escaped "pet" African serval was struck and killed
by a car after roaming free for a week.
April 2001/Omaha, Neb.: Animal handler
Bryan Franzen required stitches after he was clawed by a tiger during
a performance at the Tangier Shrine Circus.
April 29, 2001/Oskaloosa, Kan.: A
Jefferson County sheriff's lieutenant shot and killed an escaped
tiger as the tiger crouched in an attack position. The 600-pound
tiger ran loose for an hour after fleeing while being unloaded at
a traveling zoo called, "Gatekeepers Wildlife Sanctuary."
The animal had twice tried to attack a veterinarian when he was
shot with a tranquilizer dart.
April 27, 2001/Oakwood, Ohio: The
sheriff's office warned residents to keep their children and companion
animals indoors after receiving a report that an escaped lion had
been sighted.
April 16, 2001/Cascante, Spain: Three
lions and a tiger escaped from a circus, killing or injuring several
other animals at the circus. Police cordoned off the area and warned
residents to stay indoors. Two of the lions were recaptured, and
police shot and killed the tiger and the third lion the next day.
April 12, 2001/Brasov, Romania: A
lion being used for photo shoots with tourists attacked an 8-year-old
boy and escaped. The lion was recaptured by police, and the boy
was hospitalized with bite wounds to his shoulder.
April 7, 2001/Van Buren County, Ark.:
Three tigers escaped from their cages while being moved by court
order from a Faulkner County subdivision, where they had been kept
in violation of a local ordinance. The tigers were found three hours
later, and one died after being tranquilized. After the escape,
the sheriff of Van Buren County stated that he did not want the
tigers in his county either.
March 27, 2001/Morgan County, Mo.:
An African lion at Ozark Nature Center escaped from his cage while
animals were being loaded for transport. Terrified residents spent
the next four days escorting children and keeping companion animals
indoors while dozens of police officers and conservation agents
searched for the animal. The lion was found napping near a road
and recaptured.
March 25, 2001/Las Vegas, Nev.: A
tiger with Safari Wildlife attacked and killed his handler. The
tiger put his paw on the man's back, pushed him down, and bit his
throat. The handler died within minutes from loss of blood. The
tiger was used for photo ops with the public and had also appeared
in numerous motion pictures and advertisements. He was being groomed
for a promotional advertisement when the attack occurred. Another
handler was hospitalized with injuries to his knees and puncture
wounds.
March 22, 2001/Toronto, Canada: A
400-pound tiger with Garden Bros. Circus bit off a circus worker's
fingertip while being given water.
March 20, 2001/Olmsted Falls, Ohio:
A worker spreading gravel in a tiger enclosure at Burnette Farm
was mauled and critically injured by a 500-pound tiger. The worker
underwent surgery for bite wounds to his neck.
March 16, 2001/Witts Springs, Ark.:
A tiger escaped from a backyard menagerie by gnawing her way through
the heavy steel enclosure. The tiger was loose for three days, terrorizing
residents and biting a dog, who was subsequently treated for three
large fang marks on each side of his neck. The tiger continued to
elude capture after she was shot in the shoulder by an area resident.
She was tranquilized and recaptured after she was located in a thickly
wooded area by a police helicopter.
March 10, 2001/Kamarkundu, India:
Just minutes after the show started, a tiger suddenly mauled a worker
at the Olympic Circus while the animal was being forced to jump
through a fireball. The circus worker received 15 stitches on his
head, neck, and jaws.
February 5, 2001/Keal Cotes, England:
An animal trainer suffered bite wounds to his leg and shoulder when
he was mauled by a 550-pound tiger during a training exercise.
January 26, 2001/Las Vegas, Nev.:
A "pet" cougar escaped from her pen and hopped aboard
a school bus. No children were on board at the time. The driver
fled from the bus, and animal control workers captured the animal.
December 29, 2000/Frankfurt, Germany:
A tiger escaped from a circus and caused a 12-mile traffic jam on
Germany's busiest motorway that lasted longer than two hours while
he eluded capture by 50 police, firefighters, animal experts, and
circus personnel. A helicopter with heat-seeking equipment located
the tiger at night, and he was finally captured after being sedated
with six shots from an anesthetic dart gun.
December 20, 2000/Omaha, Neb.: A
6-month-old mountain lion cub pounced on the landlord of a rental
home that he was checking on after the tenant was arrested for armed
robbery.
December 15, 2000/ Calcutta, India:
A 30-year-old man, believed to be drunk, was killed by a tiger in
front of horrified spectators at the Alipur Zoo when he jumped over
a fence into the tiger enclosure. The tiger swiped at the man once
with his paw.
December 15, 2000/West Bengal, India:
A tiger trainer was mauled to death by three tigers during an act
that required nine tigers to jump over her and then pass through
a ring.
November 5, 2000/Amberg, Germany:
A 5-year-old girl was critically wounded when a tiger/lion mix broke
through his cage, knocked down a fence, and grabbed her at a circus.
October 21, 2000/Gambier, Ohio: A
10-year-old boy was knocked to the ground and bitten on the leg
by a tiger at the Siberian Tiger Foundation while participating
in a "close encounter" at the facility. This was the tenth
incident in seven months of people being bitten or otherwise injured
by tigers at the facility.
September 21, 2000/Vandalur, India:
A zookeeper died after being mauled by a panther at the Arignar
Anna Zoological Park. The panther pounced on the keeper and grasped
her by the neck while she was cleaning the cage. This was the third
keeper to be killed by an animal at the zoo.
September 12, 2000/Brisbane, Australia:
Two tiger handlers received stitches after they were attacked and
bitten by a tiger prior to shooting a scene for the U.S. television
series Beastmaster.
September 10, 2000/Albuquerque, N.M.:
A tiger cub bit a man during a photo op at the New Mexico State
Fair.
August 26, 2000/Sioux Falls, S.D.:
A 14-year-old boy was hospitalized after being mauled by a tiger
on his father's farm. The teenager was hospitalized for more than
a month with bite wounds to the leg, neck, and shoulder.
August 12, 2000/Boise, Idaho: A woman
was mauled by a tiger at a fundraiser for Zoo Boise after the cat
escaped from an unlocked cage. She was hospitalized in serious condition
with a broken leg, puncture wounds, and a gunshot wound that she
received when police fired their guns to scare the tiger away.
August 7, 2000/São Paulo, Brazil:
Police firing machine guns and shotguns killed six lions from a
circus after they had escaped from their cage and prowled through
the town.
July 12, 2000/Chippewa Falls, Wis.:
An employee at the Irvine Park Zoo in Wisconsin was bitten by a
cougar after she tried to pet him. She was hospitalized for three
days.
June 28, 2000/Rensselaer, N.Y.: A
4-year-old boy underwent plastic surgery for a bite to the neck
and two puncture wounds to the face when he was attacked by a 40-pound
African serval being taken for a walk. The man walking the cat received
several stitches for bite wounds to the hand.
June 12, 2000/Ahmadabad, India: A
leopard escaped from a zoo and attacked two construction workers,
one seriously, and a cyclist before being recaptured two hours later.
June 7, 2000/Bloomington, Ill.: A
man was treated for a 3-inch cut and puncture wounds to his hand,
inflicted by a snow leopard after he tried to pet the animal at
the Miller Park Zoo. A similar incident occurred at the same zoo
in September 1995 when a man suffered a 3_-inch gash to his hand
when he attempted to pet a leopard. 
May 31, 2000/Guyana, South America:
A jaguar attacked and killed his handler at the Georgetown Zoo and
escaped from his cage. Police later found the jaguar in a nearby
shrub and shot him to death.
May 21, 2000/Kiowa, Colo.: A tiger
ripped off the arm of a volunteer at a zoo in Colorado.
May 17, 2000/Brewster, Mass.: A 14-year-old
girl was attacked by a tiger at a roadside zoo in Massachusetts.
The girl, a part-time employee at the zoo, was feeding the cat when
he bit her leg and shook her before releasing her.
April 10, 2000/São Paulo, Brazil:
Five lions used in a circus devoured a 6-year-old boy after one
dragged him away from his father and into the cage inside a tent
full of spectators. Police wounded two people with bullet fragments
as they sprayed the top of the cage with machine-gun fire to scare
the lions off the boy's body. Four lions were killed.
March 28, 2000/Bohuslän, Sweden:
A zookeeper suffered gashes on her head, arms, and shoulders and
was rushed to the hospital after being mauled by a snow leopard
at Nordern's Ark. The big cat had torn a pound of flesh from her
body.
March 15, 2000/Channelview, Texas:
A 3-year-old boy had his arm bitten off by his uncle's "pet"
tiger.
March 14, 2000/Warsaw, Poland: An
escaped tiger traveling with a circus attacked a veterinarian before
being gunned down by police after a two-hour chase through the streets
of Warsaw. The veterinarian was also killed by a bullet meant for
the tiger.
February 24, 2000/Kent, England:
A keeper at a zoo in Kent, England was bitten on the eyelid by an
ocelot while in the cage feeding the cat.
February 23, 2000/Great Bend, Kan.:
A high school student was bitten on the hand and arm after sticking
her arm into a cougar's cage at the Brit Spaugh Zoo.
February 3, 2000/Tokyo, Japan: An
employee of a company that rented out animals was killed by a tiger
at the firm's breeding compound in Tokyo. The company rented animals
to television stations for use in their programs.
January 22, 2000/Rome, Italy: A man
who kept wild animals as "pets" was found dead. He had
been eaten by one of his lions.
December 4, 1999/Williamsville, Mo.:
A 5-year-old boy required surgery after he was mauled by a "pet"
lion kept chained in a neighbor's yard. The animal inflicted puncture
wounds to the boy's throat and head. The lion was killed.
November 18, 1999/China: Four tigers
mauled to death a driver at a safari park after he exited his bus
to make a repair. Previous attacks at the 4-year-old park had been
reported.
October 30, 1999/Buffalo, N.Y.: A
keeper at the Buffalo Zoo was bit and clawed by a leopard.
October 25, 1999/Great Plains, S.D.:
A 4-year-old girl was injured after she was clawed by an African
lynx at the Great Plains Zoo. The girl and her parents had wandered
into a staff area of the zoo.
October 21, 1999/Evansville, Ind.:
A zookeeper at the Mesker Park Zoo was mauled by a lion who severely
injured his leg and arm.
August 3, 1999/Alor Star, Malaysia:
A lion with a circus slashed and deeply cut a handler's hand as
he escaped from his cage. The lion was recaptured three hours later.
June 26, 1999/Sterling, Kan.: A woman
with a group of Boy Scouts visiting Safari Zoological Park was attacked
by a caged tiger when she put her hand on the cage.
June 7, 1999/Yorktown, Texas: A 9-year-old
girl was killed when her stepfather's "pet" tiger grabbed
her by the neck and dragged her into a water trough.
May 4, 1999/Spain: Tigers mauled
to death an elderly German couple visiting a game park in Spain.
After getting out of their car, three tigers attacked them both,
causing fatal neck wounds. 
April 10, 1999/Pearland, Texas: A
tiger handler had to be airlifted to the hospital after being attacked
by a tiger at a defunct roadside zoo. The tiger was killed.
March 31, 1999/Tyler, Texas: A woman's
arm was nearly severed by a tiger at a compound. A volunteer at
the facility, she reached in to pet the tiger, when he attacked.
Doctors were unsure whether they would be able to save her arm.
March 16, 1999/Colorado Springs, Colo.:
A 6-year-old boy was severely injured by a leopard at the Cheyenne
Mountain Zoo after he climbed over a rope to get a closer look at
the animal. Three months earlier, a woman was scratched by a tiger
at the zoo after sticking her hand into his cage.
January 21, 1999/Bangkok, Thailand:
Four tigers attacked and killed their keeper at a private zoo. The
zoo is attached to a restaurant and the animals are used to attract
customers.
January 7, 1999/Wichita, Kan.: A
5-month-old tiger cub bit the throat of a 5-year-old child. The
tiger belonged to Safari Zoological Park, a roadside zoo that hauls
animals around to schools, festivals, and store promotions. The
tiger was killed the next day.
January 1, 1999/Jackson Township, N.J.:
Police shot and killed a 431-pound tiger who escaped from the Tigers
Only Preservation Society, only a few hundred yards from a subdivision.
December 9, 1998/South Africa: A
2-year-old boy was severely injured when a lion at a zoo reached
under the gate of his cage and bit the boy's hip and dragged him
under the gate.
December 7, 1998/Doué-la-Fountaine, France:
A 4-year-old boy was fatally mauled, and his father severely injured,
by 2 jaguars who had escaped from their cage at the Doué-la-Fountaine
Zoo south of Paris, France. Police killed both of the 200-pound
female jaguars.
December 7, 1998/Ukraine: A lioness
attacked and badly injured a worker at a Ukrainian zoo after she
entered her cage thinking it was empty.
November 21, 1998/Chicago, Ill.:
A Ringling Bros. circus employee was seriously mauled by a tiger
used in the circus when three tigers escaped from their cage in
a Chicago parking lot. The tiger clawed the handler on his neck
and side. This was the second attack by tigers used by Ringling
in one year. (see 1/7/98).
November 18, 1998/Kaufman, Texas:
A Texas man was attacked by his "pet" lion and suffered
serious injuries. The adult female lion jumped him from behind.
November 15, 1998/Chatham County, N.C.:
A cougar mauled a volunteer with Carnivore Preservation Trust causing
numerous bites and deep scratches. 
November 13, 1998/Newberry, Fla.:
The same tiger who killed his trainer on 10/8/98 attacked and killed
his owner. The tiger was shot dead.
November 8, 1998/Cut and Shoot, Texas:
Two "pet" tigers escaped their backyard cage and attacked
a dog and a pig before being shot dead by police after charging
pursuers. In 1997, a "pet" cougar kept by the same man
escaped and was never re-captured.
October 8, 1998/Newberry, Fla.: A
tiger attacked and killed his trainer at the Holiday's Cat Dancer
facility. The tiger had been used in the operation's traveling animal
show and featured in Shrine circuses. The tiger grabbed the trainer
by the throat.
September 5, 1998/Tampa, Fla.: A
woman needed 451 stitches after a leopard latched onto her arm with
his mouth, removing skin from her elbow to her wrist. The woman
was a volunteer at Wildlife on Easy Street, a breeding complex.
August 29, 1998/Myakka City, Fla.:
A tiger bit the hand of a 14-year-old volunteer with Tiger Claw
Productions. The bite stripped flesh and tendons from her hand and
required two surgeries to repair.
July 31, 1998/Vallejo, Calif.: A
woman taking her photo at Marine World with a Bengal tiger was mauled
and hospitalized with multiple cuts to her neck and throat. A trainer
trying to separate them was also injured.
July 30, 1998/Minot, N.D.: A 5-year-old
boy suffered facial cuts requiring plastic surgery after being attacked
by a tiger at a photo booth at the state fair.
July 13, 1998/Brisbane, Australia:
During a show in front of 200 spectators, a tiger attacked his handler,
picked him up, and carried him 15 feet.
May 2, 1998/Wylie, Texas: A "pet"
cougar bit a 4-year-old boy on the leg. The boy required $5,800
in medical care.
May 1, 1998/Witchita, Kan.: A tiger
scratched or bit an adult while the animal was appearing at a store's
promotional event.
April 7, 1998/Charlotte, N.C.: Two
lions at the Charlotte Metro Zoo attacked a keeper, one biting him
on the leg while the other took the man's head in his mouth. The
keeper suffered deep puncture wounds to his head and leg. He had
to be airlifted to a trauma center.
April 1, 1998/Ark.: A tiger attacked
a worker at a breeding compound, biting him on the neck.
February 10, 1998/Lincolnton, N.C.:
A leopard nearly killed his trainer after attacking her at a Royal
Palace Circus performance in North Carolina. The trainer suffered
injuries requiring reconstructive surgery and hospitalization for
a week.
February 8, 1998/Belfast, Ireland:
A tiger escaped from his cage at the Belfast Zoo and attacked a
keeper before being shot to death by police. The keeper was treated
at a hospital for injuries to both legs and a hand.
January 7, 1998/St. Petersburg, Fla.:
A trainer with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
suffered severe head wounds after a tiger grabbed him by the head
and dragged him around the ring. He was hospitalized in critical
condition and required extensive surgery. The trainer's brother
shot the tiger five times after the animal had been returned to
his cage, killing him.
November 7, 1997/Shubra al-Khaima, Egypt:
Three starving lions belonging to a traveling circus mauled to death
a teenage boy who had been hired 10 days earlier to clean cages.
The lions had been left in a cage without food for several days
near a bus station in a densely populated neighborhood outside Cairo.
October 22, 1997/Calabasas, Calif.:
The same jaguar who attacked a trainer on 10/16/97 attacked another
trainer who suffered bite wounds on his leg and a cut to his hand
on a movie set.
October 16, 1997/Calabasas, Calif.:
A trainer on a movie set in California underwent surgery to repair
a broken leg after being attacked by a jaguar. She was expected
to remain hospitalized in fair condition for several days.
September 1997/Port Perry, Ontario, Canada:
A 6-year-old girl was attacked and left permanently scarred by a
jaguar at the Northwood Buffalo and Exotic Animal Ranch. The girl
put her arm through the wire mesh of the cage, and the cat grasped
her with his paws and mouth. The girl's family was awarded more
than $31,500 in a lawsuit.
August 17, 1997/Marshfield, Mass.:
A 13-year-old girl was rushed to the emergency room after being
bitten by a tiger during a photo session in Massachusetts. The girl
had to undergo painful rabies treatment. The Marshfield Mass. Animal
Control Department reported "several" other bites associated
with this photo booth.
August 3, 1997/Tokyo, Japan: A Japanese
couple was mauled to death by a tiger at a safari park near Tokyo.
June 7, 1997/Scappoose, Ore.: A woman
suffered deep puncture wounds to the neck and post-traumatic stress
disorder when she was attacked by a neighbor's "pet" leopard.
May 19, 1997/Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:
A 4-year-old boy was killed after a lion who was being taken for
a stroll broke loose and mauled him.
May 13, 1997/Strassburg, Germany:
During a circus performance a tiger attacked a circus worker and
seriously hurt him while he was setting up cages.
May 8, 1997/Lubbock, Texas: One of
five "pet" tigers mauled his owner. The man was admitted
to the hospital in critical condition. The owner's son killed the
tiger.
May 7, 1997/Carrollton, Pa.: A tiger
used in the Franzen Bros. Circus killed a trainer in front of 200
horrified schoolchildren.
May 4, 1997/Knox County, Tenn.: A
tiger mauled a student at Joe Robinson's roadside menagerie.
April 29, 1997/Oklahoma City, Okla.:
A leopard escaped from his cage killed a woman at an exotic animal
"sanctuary." Sheriff's deputies shot and killed the leopard
seven hours later when he was found along a road nearly a half-mile
from Oak Hill Center for Rare and Endangered Species.
April 27, 1997/San Antonio, Texas:
A man lost his finger and his friend was injured when they broke
into an exotic animal orphanage and tried to pet a tiger.
April 4, 1997/Dallas, Texas: A "pet"
bobcat mauled a toddler. The 2-year-old boy lost his right index
finger, had his heel chewed off, and suffered a severe bite wound
to his right cheek.
March 19, 1997/Orlando, Fla.: A tiger
escaped from a cage and mauled a
keeper at exotic cat breeding compound. The keeper suffered a broken
thigh, crushed knee and severed arteries and veins in his leg. Authorities
later shot and killed the tiger because they feared the animal would
jump a perimeter fence and flee the compound.
March 18, 1997/San Antonio, Texas:
A tiger escaped from a wildlife animal refuge, killing an ostrich
and pawing a sheriff's deputy before being tranquilized and recaptured.
March 12, 1997/Caudwell, Texas: A
13-year-old boy was attacked by a "pet" tiger and a lion
kept in a cage built into the side of his grandfather's house. The
boy's father said, "My boy was not mauled, he was being eaten
alive."
1997/Texas:
A lion kept in a cage as a backyard "pet" bit a visitor's
hand and tried to pull her into the cage. She had four deeply grooved
cuts requiring 21 stitches. The owner claimed that in the past,
when the lion "got out of control," squirting him in the
eyes with a spray bottle full of vinegar usually "calmed him
down."
December 21, 1996/Brooklyn Park, Minn.:
Three pet-supply store workers were bitten or scratched by a 7-month-old
tiger who had been brought to the store to have his picture taken.
The three workers agreed to receive rabies shots.
December 15, 1996/Indonesia: A tourist
was mauled to death by a chained tiger at a safari park while posing
with the animal for a photograph.
December 6, 1996/Ababa, Ethiopia:
A lion pushed open his cage door and killed his keeper at a roadside
zoo.
October 9, 1996/Las Vegas, Nev.:
A Las Vegas animal trainer had to undergo surgery on his feet and
legs after being mauled by a tiger.
September 16, 1996/Crystal Beach, Texas:
A declawed "pet" lioness died after she was shot and tranquilized
by a deputy. The lioness attacked a man after a burglarhad
apparently set her free.
August 28, 1996/London, Ontario:
A "pet" cougar mauled 2-year-old outside of London, Ontario.
May 6, 1996/Midlothian, Texas: A
6-year-old girl suffered severe injuries to her head, neck, arms,
back, and legs in an attack by a tiger, one of seven big cats on
a breeding farm. During the investigation it was found that these
same cats had been involved in three previous documented attacks.
February 10, 1996/Pahang, Malaysia:
An employee of the London Royal Circus suffered serious injuries
to her thigh and calf after a lioness attacked her while she was
cleaning her cage.
January 5, 1996/Vallejo, Calif.:
One trainer at Marine World Africa was seriously hurt and another
received minor injuries when they were attacked by two cougars as
they prepared to take the cougars for a walk.
January 3, 1996/Calcutta, India:
A tiger killed one man and mauled another at the Calcutta Zoo when
they attempted to put a garland around his neck.
December 27, 1995/Quinlen, Texas:
A 3-year-old toddler was mauled by his family's "pet"
cougar. His 6-year-old sister suffered minor injuries in the attack.
The cougar was shot and killed.
December 13, 1995/Beijing, China:
A Chinese circus hand was killed by a tiger with whom he was "quite
familiar." The chained animal sprang at the man and sank his
teeth into the man's throat, causing fatal injuries.
December 1, 1995/Fort Worth, Texas:
A tiger at the Fort Worth Zoo leaped an 11-foot-wide moat and attacked
a zookeeper. The keeper was bitten on the shoulder, arm, and hand
and was off work for several weeks.
November 24, 1995/Raleigh, N.C.:
A "pet" Bengal tiger mauled and critically injured a 3-year-old
boy while his father was walking the animal on a leash. The tiger
was shot and killed.
November 13, 1995/Memphis, Tenn.:
Two Sumatran tigers mauled a man who entered their enclosure at
the Memphis Zoo.
November 2, 1995/Washington, D.C.:
House Speaker Newt Gingrich was bitten on the chin by a baby cougar
he was holding. The bite drew blood, but was not considered a serious
injury.
October 29, 1995/Allegan, Mich.:
While her 9-year-old daughter watched in horror, a woman was attacked
and killed by a "pet" lion after she entered his cage
at the home of a friend who collected exotic animals. The friend
was severely injured when he tried to stop the attack.
September 30, 1995/Indianapolis, Ind.:
A lion being used by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
bit off the index finger of a woman who put her hand in his cage
kept in a staging area.
September 29, 1995/Piraeus, Greece:
An American tourist was bitten and nearly lost her hand when she
attempted to pet a tiger with an Italian circus.
September 27, 1995/Lava Hot Springs,
Idaho: Nineteen lions at Ligertown Game Farm were shot and killed
after escaping the complex.
September 18, 1995/Wesley, Kan.:
A 2-year-old boy required hospital treatment for a severe bite on
his ear from the family's 4-month-old cougar.
September 1995/Bloomington, Ill.:
A man suffered a 3_-inch gash to his hand when he attempted to pet
a leopard at the Miller Park Zoo.
August 6, 1995/Phoenix, Ariz.: A
mountain lion at the Phoenix Zoo gashed a 5-year old boy's arm after
he wandered too close to the cage. He required stitches to close
the wound and received scratches on the side of his chest.
June 27, 1995/Downers Grove, Ill.:
A 2-year old Chicago girl was mauled by her aunt's "pet"
Asian jungle cat.
May 28, 1995/Novi, Mich.: Seven lions
and tigers toppled onto a freeway when the trailer they were in
came unhitched. One lion suffered a fractured skull and a tiger
bolted across traffic, leading police on a four-hour chase.
March 5, 1995/Washington, D.C.: A
woman was fatally mauled by lions after climbing into their enclosure
at the National Zoo. The body was so battered and shredded so violently
that her fingerprints were gone and her face unrecognizable.
January 2, 1995/Scottsbluff, Neb.:
A zookeeper at the Riverside Zoo required surgery to repair her
windpipe and injuries to her face and chest after she was attacked
by a leopard.
December 20, 1994/East London, South
Africa: Two tigers at the East London Zoo mauled a man who jumped
into their enclosure. A tiger from this same group was the one killed
after attacking a cameraman in Angola (see 3/16/94).
November 13, 1994/London, England:
A zookeeper was killed at a private zoo by a tiger while cleaning
the cage. The private facility in London had a slew of deaths and
maulings of both visitors and keepers.
October 11, 1994/San Diego, Calif.:
San Diego Zoo animal trainer Joan Embery suffered two deep gashes
on her face by a cheetah she was exhibiting on a television talk
show.
September 3, 1994/New Delhi, India:
A tiger jumped out of the ring during a circus performance and killed
a 6 year-old boy in the audience. The boy's father was also seriously
injured.
July 24, 1994/Hanover, Canada: A
16-year-old boy was bitten on the neck and killed when he entered
a cage with two declawed tigers at a roadside zoo.
July 15, 1994/Kuwait, Iraq: A lion
killed his circus trainer by locking his jaws around the woman's
neck during a performance.
June 23, 1994/Brisbane, Australia:
A 20 month-old boy had one arm bitten off, and the other badly mauled
by a tiglon (a lion/tiger cross) at a circus. The boy's father was
an employee of the circus.
June 18, 1994/Columbia, S.C.: A tiger
at an exotic animal farm mauled a 17-year-old worker.
June 7, 1994/Miami, Fla.: A senior
zookeeper with 20 years' experience was mauled and killed by a tiger
at Miami Metrozoo.
April 5, 1994/Jackson, Miss.: An
80-pound cheetah scaled an 8-foot fence and pounced on an 8-year-old
boy at the Jackson Zoo. The boy was scratched and nipped before
the cheetah was recaptured. 
March 16, 1994/Angola: A tiger killed
a South African news cameraperson while he was filming the evacuation
of starving animals from a zoo in Angola. A witness reported that
he "never stood a chance." The tiger was killed.
January 25, 1994/Moscow, Russia:
A lion with Bingo-Bongo Circus escaped from his cage. A policeman
shot and killed the animal with a submachine gun.
January 3, 1994/Shanghai, China:
After being forced to climb a ladder and jump through a hoop, a
tiger in the Chinese circus grabbed his trainer puncturing two big
holes in her neck.
January 3, 1994/Namibia, Africa:
Lions at the Ekongoro zoo mauled to death a man who broke into the
zoo at night.
December 12, 1993/Palm Beach, Fla.:
A worker at the Lion Country Safari was attacked by a lion, causing
severe puncture wounds to her head and chest, as well as collapsed
lungs.
September 14, 1993/Joplin, Mo.: A
circus employee lost part of her arm after an attack by a tiger
on the circus' animal farm. Doctors had to amputate her arm below
the elbow.
August 11, 1993/Georgetown, Ohio:
Two teenage boys suffered facial cuts when a lion attacked one,
and the other attempted to intercede. The boys were walking when
a "pet" lion escaped from his cage and attacked them unprovoked.
May 6, 1993/Las Vegas, Nev.: A keeper
feeding a trio of lions in the backyard of a Las Vegas residence
was hospitalized after one of the cats attacked her. The Circus
Vargas employee suffered five gouges to her leg. During an April
performance, another employee was bitten by a lion.
May 6, 1993/Bronx, N.Y.: A man with
a history of mental instability was mauled by two lions at the Bronx
Zoo after he climbed into their cage.
April 17, 1993/Little Rock, Ark.:
A tiger performing with the Shrine Circus at the Barton Coliseum
escaped, ran into the audience, and bit a 13-year-old girl. The
tiger was owned and trained by Jordan Circus.
February 21, 1993/Norfolk, Va.: Graham
Chipperfield, a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus big
cat trainer, was mauled by a lion while breaking up a fight between
two other lions.
February 3, 1993/Wichita, Kan.: A
keeper was hospitalized in serious condition with wounds to his
face and neck after being mauled by a Bengal tiger at Tanganyika
Wildlife Company. The tiger lunged through the open door of a cage
and attacked when the keeper bent down to pick up something. A second
keeper attempted to beat the tiger away with a shovel and then shot
and killed the tiger.
November 30, 1992/Pahrump, Nev.:
A man was severely bitten by a tiger owned by animal trainer Alex
Pasternak. The tiger had to be shot before he would release his
grip.
September 27, 1992/Reno, Nev.: A
Reno illusionist suffered "bone-deep" puncture wounds
to his leg and arm by a tiger being used in a performance.
September 19, 1992/Tokyo, Japan:
A lion escaped from a Bolshoi Circus cage in Tokyo and roamed loose
for five hours before being gunned down with high-powered rifles.
July 26, 1992/Curitiba, Brazil: A
tiger who escaped from a circus and terrorized residents was shot
20 times and killed by police.
June 10, 1992/St. Mary, Australia:
A tiger bit a Robinson Circus worker after escaping from his cage
and was shot and killed as he approached a busy shopping center.
May 21, 1992/Muhlenberg Township, Pa.:
Two tigers with Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus escaped from an unlocked
cage during a performance. One tiger roamed around the center ring,
frightening 2,000 spectators before he was recaptured.
April 7, 1992/Iron Hill, Del.: One
of two cougars used by a private breeder jumped 12 feet and attacked
a visitor, biting her on the head, neck, and upper back. The breeder
said he would sell the two animals and replace them with cubs in
order to continue his breeding and dealing operation.
April 5, 1992/Portland, Ore.: A "pet"
lion/tiger hybrid attacked an 11-year-old girl who had to undergo
surgery to repair extensive muscle damage in her arm. The animal
would not let go and had to be shot and killed.
December 1, 1991/France: A tiger
attacked a trainer during a performance of the Parade Circus. The
trainer was treated for lacerations to his legs that required a
one-month hospitalization. The same trainer's father was similarly
attacked by a cougar during a "wild animal" show twelve
years previous to his son's attack.
October 9, 1991/Manchester, N.H.:
A model was hospitalized for five days and received 50 stitches
and rabies shots after being attacked by a lion during a photo session
in New Hampshire. A court awarded her a judgment of $75,000 on March
24, 1995.
May 31, 1991/Mexico City, Mexico:
A lion performing with Sur Americano circus leaped into the bleachers
and pounced on a 7-year-old boy, biting his head and killing him.
The lion was shot in the head and killed during the attack.
September 29, 1991/Jackson County, Kan.:
A caged lion bit a man on the hand causing puncture wounds that
required stitches after the man attempted to pet the lion at a Christmas
tree farm.
September 17, 1991/Tucson, Ariz.:
A lion cub bit the arm of a 3-year-old girl at the Reid Park Zoo.
May 13, 1991/Belgium: In front of
horrified onlookers, an animal trainer for the Kessler Bros. Circus
was slowly suffocated to death by a lion who put the trainer's entire
head in her mouth. The lion was shot and killed, but the trainer
had already perished.
April 18, 1991/Wilkesboro, N.C.:
A 3-year-old girl was attacked by a leopard traveling with the Great
American Circus.
March 8, 1991/Grimsby, Britain: Four
lions escaped during a Chipperfield circus performance and ran into
a crowd of 100 parents with their children in Grimsby. One man was
attacked and treated at a hospital.
February 23, 1991/Melbourne, Australia:
A drunken man was severely mauled after freeing four lions from
their circus cage.
January 18, 1991/Toulouse, France:
A tiger attacked and seriously injured a 3-year-old girl at a circus
performance. The 400-lb. tiger leaped into the audience, slashed
the child across her face and managed to get her head in his jaws
before being dragged off.
December 19, 1990/Italy: A 65-year-old
woman was mauled to death at an amusement park when a leopard she
was feeding seized her by the neck and dragged her into the cage.
The animal, part of an exhibit in a small town in Italy, was tear-gassed,
shot, and killed.
November 5, 1990/Phoenix, Ariz.:
A woman visiting a Phoenix resort was attacked by a tiger while
his trainer was walking him on a leash. Witnesses reported that
the tiger acted like a "pussycat" only moments before
the attack. The woman was hospitalized with severe puncture wounds.
October 27, 1990/Candelaria, Colombia:
A tiger escaped from his circus handler during a parade and killed
a 1-year-old child.
August 9, 1990/Sturgis, S.D.: A 5-year-old
girl was mauled by a leopard who was restrained by a small chain
on a box in Engessor's Endangered Species traveling act. The girl's
mother sued for $100,000 in damages.
June 23, 1990/San Pedro, Argentina:
One man was killed and three people were seriously injured when
they were mauled by two lions who escaped from a traveling circus.
The lions were shot and killed by police.
June 18, 1990/Sidney, Mont.: A leopard
in a petting zoo bit a 7-year-old boy. The owner of the leopard
said he had no intention of stopping his shows.
May 1, 1990/San Francisco, Calif.:
A zoo keeper was mauled by a leopard in front of school children
at a San Francisco zoo. The keeper underwent surgery for deep wounds
to his head, shoulders, and arm.
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