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Tiger RS escape from Zoo Atlanta
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by Ptk on September 8, 2010
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Here is a link to the tail end of the story. Just curious what everyone thought as to how Zoo Atlanta handled the situation?
Not pointing fingers mind you. Personally have not yet had an escape <knocking on wood> but I do question the extent a keeper is responsible in notifying "the public" and question to what extent it could possibly do more harm than good.
Too bad the man killed it, it looked like a nice specimen.
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/news/24798739/detail.html
Cheers
PTK
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RE: Tiger RS escape from Zoo Atlanta
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by Cro on September 9, 2010
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The folks at the zoo should have assumed that if the snake had made it out the back door, that it would have headed in the direction that it did.
In the past, that door was often left open, especially in hot weather. Not sure if that is still the case there these days, but, if they knew the door had been left open earlier that day, they should have assumed the snake might be outside of the the building.
Early on, they said that they thought the snake was still in the reptile building. That would make me think that they discovered the snake was not in its cage fairly quickly after the cages were serviced.
With the building doors closed, the snake would have been restricted to a fairly small area, the hallway leading to the concourse, the office, the mouse room, the furnace room, and the food prep room.
As those areas were searched, they could have also been closed off with snake proof doors. So, you would wind up with mostly the furnace room and the food prep room as possible places the snake could have been. Those offer a lot of hiding places for a snake, like up inside the bottom of a chest freezer, up under the walk in freezer (assuming those are still there), and also under parts of the furnace and water heater in the furnace room.
The point is, that it should have been determined fairly quickly if the snake was still in the building, or not. At that point, they would have had to assume it was outside, if the back door had been left open any time at all the day of the escape, which it clearly was.
Should the zoo folks have searched the area across the street, and warned folks in the neighborhood ?
Most likely it would have been a good idea. Once the news picked up the story (very early on, I guess someone at the zoo dropped a dime), there would have been no reason not to notify folks in that neighborhood.
There are a lot of details missing that would make it easier to know if the folks at the zoo did the right thing or not. Some, are simple things, like had the back door been open that day ? And, like how long had it been between when the cages were serviced and the fact that a snake was missing was noted ?
It is likely that the snakes were brought to the zoo by the USFWS in the cages they were already in. Those could have been very easy to escape from things like aquariums with taped on screen lids, etc. And the folks in the reptile building probably just put those cages on a shelf or on the floor back in the furnace room, as there is not a real quarantine room, unless one has been added that I do not know about. In a case like that, I would somewhat blame the USFWS. It is not like a zoo has a bunch of empty secure cages just waiting around to be used. But, at the same time, a reptile keeper should have known how to secure even a simple aquarium type cage to prevent an escape.
Anyway, just some speculation. As I stated, there is a lot of missing information that would help folks know if things were done right or not.
Best Regards
John Z
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RE: Tiger RS escape from Zoo Atlanta
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by Ptk on September 10, 2010
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John,
You clearly know the layout far better than I. I probably havnt been there for 15 years or more. The television media was really hard on the Zoo for not alerting the surrounding neighborhoods and not going door to door, basically not doing everything they felt they should have done.
Ultimately the Zoo is most likely at fault somewhere, but I do not disagree with not spending the time or energy going door to door with the message "Hey we're incompetent and a dangerous animal escaped, board up your windows and run for your lives" is the right thing to do.
As far as anyone knows it could have been a disgruntle employee that let it escape.
~ PTK
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RE: Tiger RS escape from Zoo Atlanta
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by Ptk on September 17, 2010
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Follow up link - DNR sounds off!
http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/in-wake-of-snake-612844.html
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RE: Tiger RS escape from Zoo Atlanta
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by FSB on September 22, 2010
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It's my understanding, and I could have received false info on this - I don't know - that a lot of the AZA zoos are employing swing keepers instead of experienced, full-time reptile keepers in their reptile departments, in keeping with the AZA's apparent disdain of reptiles in zoo collections and the downplaying of their importance. I have heard that the keeper involved in this case was such a swing keeper and not a full-time experienced reptile person. The above article re. the DNR goes too far in claiming that the tiger rattlesnake has the most toxic venom of any rattlesnake, but apparently the zoo went the other direction in downplaying the danger of the snake. They are hot, no question, and the danger to a 2-year old very grave indeed, though in my experience they are very shy and quick to retreat if given the chance.
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RE: Tiger RS escape from Zoo Atlanta
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by AquaHerp on September 22, 2010
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AZA is not employing swing-keepers as main-line herp staff. I am not sure about the "distain" for herps from AZA that you refer to either? Nothing could be farther from the truth. AZA is one of the leading forces in frog decline response as well engaging in countless in situ projects going on globally with herps.
San Diego just put the final touches on thier Galapagos tortoise exhibit...to the tune of one million dollars. Fort Worth just opened thier new herpetarium at a fee of 19 million dollars. I am breaking ground on a new facility for my salt-water crocs coming in at well over a million. The last of the drawings are in for the new amphibian area and headed for blueprint work. AZA does not downplay the importance of herps now, or ever.
DH
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RE: Tiger RS escape from Zoo Atlanta
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by FSB on September 22, 2010
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Thanks Doug - guess I've been misinformed, which is what I was trying to figure out.
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RE: Tiger RS escape from Zoo Atlanta
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by Buzztail1 on September 22, 2010
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I can tell you that only properly trained venomous keepers (90 day-plus training period) that are full-time employees can work with venomous at any zoo I have worked for or visited. The insurance companies just won't support any other arrangement.
I "heard" various rumors about this escape but I wonder if anyone has contacted a herp keeper at Zoolanta and asked about it. I know I haven't and so feel unqualified to provide any commentary other than what I put above.
R/
Karl
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RE: Tiger RS escape from Zoo Atlanta
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by AquaHerp on September 22, 2010
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No problem Frederick.
Still sorry that I missed seeing your place a couple years ago. Was a last minute change in priorities.
Soon...very soon. :)
DH
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RE: Tiger RS escape from Zoo Atlanta
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by xvenomx on September 24, 2010
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As far as notifying the neighborhoods, I could understand it if it was an exotic. While the tigris is not native there,it is still a rattlesnake, and EVERY american knows what that sound signifies. Even if someone had been bitten by it, when they went to the hospital and informed the staff that it was a rattlesnake bite, the treatment would have been the same as for a timber, or pigmy.
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