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Coroner: Lion killed woman after escaping cage
Yahoo News ^ | March 8, 2013 | TRACIE CONE and GOSIA WOZNIACKA | Associated Press

Posted on 03/08/2013 5:43:42 AM PST by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: california; hanson; kittyping; lionkills
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To: from occupied ga
Captain Smith: “I am so happy to be going down with my ship”

Robert Scott: I am so thrilled to die freezing, starving, and exhausted.

“Thursday, March 29 - Since the 21st we have had a continuous gale from W.S.W. and S.W. We had fuel to make two cups of tea apiece and bare food for two days on the 20th. Every day we have been ready to start for our depot 11 miles away, but outside the door of the tent it remains a scene of whirling drift. I do not think we can hope for any better things now. We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be far. It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more.”

IF, he had the strength to write more, I'm sure he would have written how happy he was to die doing what he loved.

Hugo Chavez: Loved being the Dictator of Venezuela. His final last words were : I am so happy to die doing what I love” ........... Ugh, No, His final last words were “ Please don't let me die”. Some hero. What a coward.

41 posted on 03/08/2013 6:53:41 AM PST by faucetman ( Just the facts, ma'am, Just the facts)
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To: central_va

As big as he wants?...


42 posted on 03/08/2013 6:59:10 AM PST by Resolute Conservative
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To: Uncle Chip

I’m sorry for this young lady but this is typical stupidity of “save the animals” liberals. My lib sister in law believes that small town America should be bull dozed and “given back to the animals”.


43 posted on 03/08/2013 6:59:22 AM PST by albie (re)
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To: Uncle Chip

Yesterday the lion was said to weigh 350 lbs.-—more of an adolescent-—and today the number is 550, closer to the full weight of an adult male lion. Sloppy reporting....


44 posted on 03/08/2013 7:10:23 AM PST by CatherineofAragon (Support Christian white males---the architects of the jewel known as Western Civilization)
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To: albie
My lib sister in law believes that small town America should be bull dozed and “given back to the animals

Just guessing here, but I'm guessing that she isn't volunteering HER home to be bulldozed and given back to the animals

45 posted on 03/08/2013 7:15:12 AM PST by from occupied ga (Your government is your most dangerous enemy)
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To: carriage_hill

“... ever see the YT vid...

I searched for it and found it. OMG! Yes... it is awful. What sort of infuriated me is the fact that this man’s “I am a professional wildlife photographer wanna be” probably scarred his wife, 9 year old and two year old forever. I don’t think any amount of therapy would help those children especially. Did you see the last photographs? It was a lioness showing her teeth just before he got jumped. Stupid, stupid, stupid.


46 posted on 03/08/2013 7:15:23 AM PST by momtothree
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To: albie

“... lib sister in law believes that small town America should be full dozed..”

Maybe you should suggest that she volunteer at one of the big cat sanctuaries. Okay.. that was mean. I am in a mean feeling day. LOL!


47 posted on 03/08/2013 7:17:13 AM PST by momtothree
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To: Biggirl
I guess people forget that the big cats are way, way much different from the little domestic house cats.

Not so different.

We think house cats are nice only because we are so much bigger than they are...

48 posted on 03/08/2013 7:22:04 AM PST by null and void (Gun confiscation enables tyranny. Don't enable tyranny.)
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To: Uncle Chip
Liberal idiot didn't have a gun.


49 posted on 03/08/2013 7:22:27 AM PST by Democrat_media (media makes mass shooters household names to create more & take our guns)
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To: momtothree

THE MANEATERS OF TSAVO and THE MANEATERS OF KUMAON should be required reading for these people.

Maybe a read of DEATH IN THE LONG GRASS and other books by PETER H CAPSTICK. If you get through the first paragraph you will be hooked and can’t put it down.


50 posted on 03/08/2013 7:26:43 AM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar (CLICK my name. See the murals before they are painted over! POTEET THEATER in OKC!)
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To: Uncle Chip

The Timmy Treadwell story was different - that guy was truly cuckoo for cocoa puffs and what happened to him - well it was only a matter of time before it did.

This case seems just a bit different to me. She was doing her job - cleaning the lion enclosure and the proper checks and safety measures, for one reason or another, were not followed. Doesn’t even have to mean that she was the one that neglected those checks. And it certainly doesn’t mean that she wanted to be eaten, or that she didn’t realize that lions are dangerous creatures, etc. etc.

This case seems to fit the template of libtard believing in the Disney version of the animal kingdom - but it may not, in fact do so.

Of course the badly written articles and post mortem statements don’t help any - like “police still investigating why a lion ate the woman”. Of course statements and articles like that are idiotic.


51 posted on 03/08/2013 7:31:25 AM PST by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
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To: Uncle Chip
Lions 101:

This is not a real lion:

This is also not a real lion:

THIS is a real lion:


52 posted on 03/08/2013 7:31:48 AM PST by fidelis (Zonie and USAF Cold Warrior)
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To: Uncle Chip; All
Here is the liberal playing with the kitties


53 posted on 03/08/2013 7:32:44 AM PST by Democrat_media (media makes mass shooters household names to create more & take our guns)
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To: from occupied ga

I’m guessing that she isn’t volunteering HER home to be bulldozed and given back to the animals”

...she lives in Boston. I told her, “why shouldn`t Boston be bull dozed? Why just small town America?” She said, “that’s different. Boston offers so much.” I just told her to take a few minutes to think about the stupidity of what she just said.


54 posted on 03/08/2013 7:35:36 AM PST by albie (re)
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To: Democrat_media

Hmmm - maybe I need to walk back my previous comments - maybe she *was* a few french fries short of a happy meal lol.


55 posted on 03/08/2013 7:36:09 AM PST by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
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To: central_va

I think they meant Kitchen, she escaped the kitchen somehow.


56 posted on 03/08/2013 7:37:22 AM PST by MaxMax
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To: Democrat_media
If the liberal idiot would have been carrying a semi-automatic 45 she would be alive today.

The lion apparently broke her neck with one paw swipe while she was on her mobile phone.

Few people can drop a phone, draw a weapon and fire it faster than a big cat can pounce.

It is unclear whether she even noticed the animal was moving before her neck was broken.

No firearm of any caliber could have saved her.

57 posted on 03/08/2013 7:56:46 AM PST by wideawake
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To: Uncle Chip

Was she one of those who thinks they have a “special” connection with wild animals? Like the bear guy that got eaten?


58 posted on 03/08/2013 8:05:07 AM PST by ZX12R
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To: jboot

“Apparently it was an exercise in wish fulfillment by a narcissistic youth. Unlike most risky behaviors committed by narcissistic youth this one had immediate consequences.”

That seems a bit harsh. The woman wanted to work with big cats and their is nothing wrong with that. Cleaning out cages as an intern hardly seems narcissistic, its a good way to build a resume for your chosen line of work. Working with big cats is not inherently dangerous with the right precautions. The problem was that someone didnt close the cage door properly.


59 posted on 03/08/2013 8:12:38 AM PST by Brooklyn Attitude (Obama being re-elected is the political equivalent of OJ being found not guilty.)
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To: ZX12R
Was she one of those who thinks they have a “special” connection with wild animals?

She was one of those who failed to realize that, at feeding time when the keeper is throwing dead meat into the compound, the big cats are actually looking at the keeper licking their chops thinking of something fresher and still breathing.

60 posted on 03/08/2013 8:15:21 AM PST by Uncle Chip
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