Killed by a Kitty Cat
I just read about a 32 year old woman who was mauled to death by a tiger. Apparently, the entire event was witnessed by several children, including one of her own at an exotic animal farm called "100 Mile House," in British Columbia, Canada. Reportedly, Tanya Dumstrey-Soos, who worked at the farm as a receptionist was taken to a hospital after the attack late Thursday, but doctors couldn't save her.
She was standing outside the cage and the cat was playing with her dress and grabbed her legs. Tanya was found outside the tiger's cage when emergency services arrived at the farm. There is no indication that at any point the tiger was outside of the cage; nor is there any indication that the victim entered the cage.
The Mounted Police said all the animals, including three tigers, a lion and a lemur, remain secured on the premises. British Columbia Agricultural Minister Barry Penner said authorities would determine whether there is a need to change regulations that allow private citizens to keep exotic animals. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has called for legislation to ban the practice.
Personally, I believe they should ban the practice or at least set up super tight regulations for people who wish to run these exotic farms. I can remember visiting one of these so-called privately owned exotic farms back home in Ontario. Surrounded by a rickety old barbed wire fence, it didn't look secure at all to me. There were families that lived in the neighbourhood with children who were pushing to have the exotic farm closed down.
One of the large cats actually escaped at one point and took a leisurely stroll through the community. These are wild animals and should be treated as such. I know that many of the people that run these exotic farms have only the animal's best interest in mind but everyone's idea of a "secure environment" is subject to interpretation. I'd think the protection of the community would be of the utmost priority.
