Posted on 04/13/2009 1:48:12 PM PDT by JoeProBono
"Zoo keepers who saved the life of a woman who jumped into a polar bear enclosure at Berlin Zoo revealed on Monday that they were moments away from shooting the animals.
Rifles had already been issued to marksmen and Heiner Kloes, a zoo spokesman, said: This woman's behaviour not only put her life in danger but also that of the staff who had to rescue her.
However, we do have guns and we would have been prepared to use them without hesitation if it was felt it was the only way to save the woman.
The woman known only as "Mandy K" not only endangered her own life, but those of the brave zoo keepers who rescued her. Mandy was severely depressed because she was recently laid of from her teaching job, but there are better ways of dealing with depression. Mandy is still in intensive care, she has paid dearly for her foolish action and we shouldn't pile on her.
If the zoo keepers had killed the polar bears who were only defending their turf from a trespasser there would have been a worldwide outrage from animal lovers. The bears are captured and imprisoned in a cage, to shoot them because an idiot jumps into their enclosure would be nothing short of murder.
If a similar incident happens in the United States and the zoo administrators decide to shoot a zoo animal, I guarantee that the zoo officials would not enjoy a day of peace for the rest of their lives.
Any moron who screws around with a zoo animal deserves what they get. Outrageous to even think of shooting the animal.
I like the shot in the video on the news where he’s biting her on her keister. Just a love nip, Mandy.
She told the bear to bite her ass.
It did.
anybody could you photo shop obama in place of the women and add the looter dude for laughs?
I thought she was just a loonie who wanted to pet them, but she was attempting suicide by polar bear.
I can just see the sign over the lion’s cage: Tuesday is Take a Human To Lunch Day.
What it needs it Looty going by and His Obamminess on the phone to the UN.
Depression can make people do some stupid things. I think this poor soul deserves more pity than scorn. Prayers for her.
Yeah, that pissed me off. I wish parents would contain their bastard children. The mother should of had to pay.
Too bad for Smokey then. Thanks for the tip though; I'll be sure to pack some extra 454 and 30-06 with the coffee grounds.
Geez, look at the size of that paw!
She was watching too many Al Gore movies.
Actually, the story I saw specifically mentioned that it wasn’t Knut. I bet he was sorry he didn’t get his share though...
Some years back, there was a drunken young man who, along with his friends, broke into a NYC zoo (the Bronx Zoo?) after hours and ended up inside the polar bear enclosure. The bears killed him and had half eaten the body before it was recovered the following morning. Nothing was done to the bears as a consequence.
I misremembered (a Bushism that I proudly use)the NYC incidents and, worse yet, conflated the two:
http://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/20/nyregion/polar-bears-kill-a-child-at-prospect-park-zoo.html
Hat tip to Krankor(post #12) for finding the link.
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