Save the tiger that killed my sister says brother
THE brother of the zookeeper mauled to death by a tiger has called for the animal to be allowed to live.
Teacher Stephen McClay’s appeal came as he and police dismissed suggestions that 24-year-old Sarah committed suicide.
He angrily hit back at zoo owner David Gill’s suggestions that she died because of “keeper error” and a “sad error of judgment”.
But in a new statement yesterday the zoo again blamed the victim for “failing to comply with set protocols”.
Sarah was attacked by a Sumatran tiger at South Lakes Wild Animal Park, near Dalton?in-Furness, Cumbria, on Friday.
Police said the keeper, from Barrow, was in a staff area when the tiger escaped from its pen and pounced on her.
Stephen, 27, of Richmond, west London, said: “It is not the tiger’s fault. It is just an animal that didn’t know what it was doing.
“I don’t want it to be put down. Sarah wouldn’t ever have wanted that.” He said that there was “no way” his sister would have wanted the animal to be destroyed as she loved big cats. Stephen added that the family had been hurt by suggestions from Mr Gill that the tragedy was Sarah’s fault.
But in a vigorous defence of its procedures, the zoo said: “We stand by the initial investigation’s conclusions of an error of judgment and failing to comply with set protocols.
“However we are also fully aware that the full details of this event have been clarified somewhat in recent hours from having all witness statements put together and a clearer picture painted of the events."
The park added that Sarah was in the “keeper work area” at the time of the tragedy – with the door of the tiger den “wide open” and two sliding doors to the outdoor area left open. The statement continued: “This allowed the tiger to enter the housing and sadly attack Sarah as she was right by the den door.
“It is now clear that Sarah did enter the tiger den at some point to clean the den by opening the door but the exact circumstances of how the slides to the outside enclosure were left open is unclear.
“It is protocol not to open any door of a den until all slides are confirmed closed and padlocked and all animals confirmed not in the dens and secured in the outer area.”
It continued: “We are convinced that this was not anything but an accident caused by human error.”
The zoo paid tribute to Sarah describing her as a “bubbly, active and passionate professional”, whose ability with young children was “a particular joy to behold”.
Detectives said human or mechanical error could have led to the tragedy, or it could have been a combination of both.
