Coroner: Lion killed woman after escaping cage

Yahoo News ^ | March 8, 2013 | TRACIE CONE and GOSIA WOZNIACKA | Associated Press

[Uncle Chip]

DUNLAP, Calif. (AP) — The investigation into a lion attack that killed a 24-year-old woman who loved big cats is focusing on a cage door that the 550-pound animal managed to escape through to reach the volunteer intern, officials say.

Authorities said Thursday they believe the 5-year-old male lion broke the neck of the woman at a Central California animal park after it got out of its feeding cage and attacked as she cleaned its bigger area.

The investigation is continuing into how the powerful beast and Dianna Hanson came tragically to be in the same place at the same time, Fresno County coroner David Hadden said.

"The lion had been fed, the young woman was cleaning the large enclosure, and the lion was in the small cage. The gate of the cage was partially open, which allowed the lion called Cous Cous to lift it up with his paw," Hadden said, based on a briefing from investigators. "He ran at the young lady."

Hanson was talking with a co-worker on a cellphone in the moments before she was killed, the coroner said. The co-worker became concerned when the conversation ended abruptly and Hanson failed to call back. The co-worker then called authorities when she went to check on Hanson. Hadden said the lion broke Hanson's neck, probably with a swipe of a paw, killing her instantly.

Sheriff's deputies shot Cous Cous after he couldn't be coaxed away from Hanson's body.

Hanson had been working for two months as an intern at Cat Haven, a 100-acre private zoo east of Fresno. Her father, Paul Hanson, described his daughter as a "fearless" lover of big cats and said her goal was to work with the animals at an accredited zoo. She died doing what she loves, he said.

[Democrat_media]

funny how our ancestors ( you know before they invented iron weapons when our human ancestors had to use crude hand made weapons out of tree limbs), funny how they managed to kill these oh so mighty lions of yours . funny how lions and other predators DIDN’t wipe out humans. funny how a cave man with a wooden stick could kill a lion but you say I with a modern killing machine such as a semi-automatic gun cannot? i think you are wrong my ancestors could with wooden hand crude weapons and so could I with a gun kill a stupid lion