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Last week's article about the relatively rare need for personal injury solicitors to involve themselves in zoo-related no win, no fee compensation claims has caused my email inbox to swell considerably more than usual.
In fact, so avalanche-like has the response been that I've not had time to reply to respondents personally, as I would normally do. Instead, I thought it best to reply to my readers through these pages.
Zookeepers
A number of you pointed out that I had neglected to mention the fact that being a zookeeper can be quite a dangerous business.
Just one small mistake by either employee or employer can lead to catastrophic consequences. There are numerous examples of no win, no fee compensation being paid for work injuries sustained in such accidents.
One reader, Andy, a keen amateur zoologist himself, pointed out that attacks by big cats on their carers are an alarmingly common and ever-present hazard for many zoo workers.
He alerted me to the case of a worker from Detroit Zoo who, in 2008, suffered serious work injury when he was attacked by an adult lion. The zookeeper only managed to save his life by some quick-thinking and the use of some pepper spray.
At first I had thought that Andy was a hoaxer, as he also provided me with the story of a "liger" attack that occurred at Oklahoma Zoo in 2008, and an accompanying poem. However, a quick piece of research indicated that the liger is indeed not a chimera-like figment of Andy's very vivid imagination - I can't say I understood the all of your poem about the liger's conception Andy, but it certainly was interesting! – but actually a real life lion-tiger hybrid.
The attack Andy told me about was suffered by a 32-year-old animal handler who made the "cardinal mistake" of entering Rocky the Liger's enclosure during feeding time.
In the wake of the attack Animal Planet host Ricky Lorwin commented, "One of the most important protocols with these powerful cats in captivity is to never enter their enclosure with the animal present, especially when it involves food."
"This creature could have, by its nature, a very individualistic, nice personality.
"But the truth is, a tiger that weighs hundreds of pounds only needs to have one bad moment, and one bad moment can be critical, if not lethal, to a human being."
Numerous other readers also contacted me to tell me about big cat attacks on keepers, including ones involving panthers, tigers, lions and leopards.
Regular reader Mike also emailed to remind me that I neglected to mention the extremely dangerous business of dealing with elephants. You're right Mike: it was "just one of many elephants in the room within the article!" They are indeed very dangerous animals and elephant keepers endure some of highest fatal work injury rates in the world. Thanks for the pointer.
Argentina's tiger-cuddling zoo
Lady reader Jane sent me a short email to tell me about a zoo in Buenos Aires, Argentina she recently visited on her honeymoon.
Yes, Jane, Lujan Zoo would certainly appear to be a "no win, no fee compensation danger zone". And, I'm not sure that, like you, I would be brave enough to ride a lion.
And thanks for the link you provided to some pictures of activities at the zoo http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1166062/Pictured-The-bizarre-zoo-mane-event-visitors-getting-sit-fully-grown-male-lions-back.html.
As ever thanks to all for dropping by this bit of cyberspace.
