Deer Killed After Jump into Zoo's Lion Den

Washington Post: Crowd at National Zoo Watches as Wild Deer Escapes Lion but Is Fatally Injured

(Washington Post)  This story was written by Martin Weil.

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A deer that jumped a wall at the National Zoo was fatally injured by two lions Sunday as dozens of startled spectators looked on.

Zoo spokeswoman Pamela Baker-Masson described the incident as highly unusual. It began about 2:50 p.m. as visitors lined the perimeter wall of an enclosure that contained two female lions, and it involved a deer that may have entered from Rock Creek Park.

"Everyone was cheering, 'Go, go, go' " to encourage the deer to reach safety, witness Josh Shpayher said. "Everyone was rooting for the deer."

As recounted by witnesses, the deer, over as much as 20 minutes, was in and out of a moat while the lions clutched, clawed or swatted it. A crowd of spectators grew. Some shrieked, cried out or took children away.

The incident began, said witness Rob Ephraim, when the deer "ran between people" at the railing of the low wall around the sunken enclosure.

"It was running and it leaped," he said. After a hoof apparently clipped the railing, the deer plunged into the green, leaf-strewn water of the moat at the bottom of the wall. One lion went in after the deer and "jumped on it," Ephraim said.

The deer escaped, "then [got] caught again," Ephraim said.

As the episode neared its end, one lion dragged the deer to a stairwell area. The deer, a female, broke free and bounded toward the moat, the lion in pursuit.

Zoo personnel sent visitors away and got the lions indoors. With the enclosure empty, the deer left the moat on its own. It was anesthetized and taken for evaluation by specialists.

They found it "pretty evident" that the deer "would not survive," and it was euthanized, Baker-Masson said.

Shpayher said he arrived in the middle of the incident, as the crowd was swelling to at least 100 people.

When he asked what was happening, he said a woman told him that "a deer jumped in and the lions got him."

Video footage shows the deer seeming to wriggle from a lion's grasp and flee, with no obvious wounds.

But Baker-Masson said an examination indicated that besides head and neck scratches, the deer had a serious wound on its belly.

Many deer live in Rock Creek Park, where the zoo is located, and many have been spotted on the zoo grounds. But it is highly unusual for a deer to get into an enclosure, Baker-Masson said.

A video of the incident, shot by Ephraim and Christy Smethers, can be found at http://www.youtube.com/user/crossmax1084#p/a/u/1/2CbPzjhFY8Q. (part of which you can watch below)

Staff writer Amy Argetsinger contributed to this report.

[midlclass]

taking there children away. this is how nature is prey and predator, probly took them home and let them play there halo game. not as realistic. to bad the lions didn't get to have there deer and eat it too

[sonofsummarex]

Why is this always happening to Democrats?

[fariborzzak]

how lucky

[bradkt1]

The deer jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire...in a manner of speaking.

[nordeck52]

I believe this is what we call nature.

I feel sorry for the deer though. But, I'm not surprised of how it turned out. Lionesses ARE professional hunters, after all. What I'd like to know is what made the deer start bolting on the path that took it into the lion's den?

[Sloughfoot]

Life in the real world folks - with a lack of practice the lions really muffed it. Millions of animals die daily from attacks by predators while most humans sit beside their fire, behind their doors and in their cities. That's life - nothing cruel about it -cruelty is a human reflection upon a totally natural occurence.

[dastib]

this was really bad how would you like to have been that little Deer deer'' this is somebodys screw up'' we have a Heart less World and getting worse'' some of you smart ass's maybe a Bear will have a meal with you some day!!!!~

[vandal_57]

You make it sound like it was a person that threw that deer in there... this is natural selection at it's finest. The deer made the dumb mistake of jumping into an enclosure with predators, of course a prey animal like that is going to get killed.

[Overruled1]

Bambi vs Godzilla...

[erb0087]

Remember that crazy German woman who jumped into the Polar Bears' tank ?

That was a cause celebre for a week or so.

I assume she's recovered by now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyiHil6lUlY

[erb0087]

"April 15, 2009

A 32-year-old woman who climbed into the polar bear enclosure and was mauled at the Berlin Zoo last week may face legal action by the zoo for her actions. But, the Associated Press reports, the zoo doesn't plan to make any changes to its security policy as a result of the incident.

"It is already safe," zoo spokesman Heiner Kloes said of the enclosure. In order to enter it, the woman, identified only as Mandy K, had to climb over a fence, a line of hedges, and a wall. "People who want to jump in will always find a way."

Mandy K sustained injuries to her arms, legs and back. "This woman's behaviour not only put her life in danger but also that of the staff who had to rescue her," Kloes told the Telegraph. "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." From the Telegraph:

The keepers' bravery was praised after they dragged the 32-year-old German mother out of a moat for the animals. They had to shove the animal out of the way after one of four polar bears dived into the water and attacked her, inflicting serious bites to her legs and arms.

On Monday it emerged that she is a teacher who had been driven to despair by her failure to find a job.

Celebrity polar bear Knut was reportedly in the enclosure when Mandy K entered it, although he wasn't the bear that attacked her."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/04/woman-mauled-by-polar-bear-after-jumping-into-enclosure-at-the-berlin-zoo.html

[Void_Master]

Like many posters here, I too would have said to give the deer to the lions. But they really did need to make sure that the deer's behavior was not the result of some disease that might have infected the lion.

But once that was resolved, why not let them have their kill. If I were one of those lions, I'd have been pizzed.