Alligator busts out of glass enclosure

[Edwin]

SWEDEN:
Alligator attacked children in zoo
Av: Hanne Dankertsen 25. jul 11:13

An alligator went berserk and broke the glass cage in a Swedish zoo, only inches from children sitting in their pushchairs.

If it had not been for a man who managed to scare the alligator away using a bench, things might have gone terribly wrong.
The Swedish family, who visited the zoo in Öland, Sweden, on Thursday, had obviously not expected their day of fun to end in such a drama.

«We had told our daughter Maja about all the animals she would get to see», the 28-year-old mother told Aftonbladet. To give Maja and her baby daughter a better view, the mother placed the pushchairs right at the front of the glass cage.

«We suddenly heard a big bang and the alligator stuck its head out of the cage, no more than 50 centimetres from our daughters», said the mother.

The pushchair was filled with glass splinters. Maja was wounded on her legs and feet and baby Lowa's arm was injured by the glass as well. Many of the zoo visitors panicked.

The alligator was two metres long and female. According to the animal keeper the alligator had been annoyed with a male in the cage and was trying to shake him off.

The animal minder said the alligator was not dangerous:

«We are inside the cage on a daily basis. Sometimes we even swim with them», he said.

http://www.nettavisen.no/servlets/pa...06&item=278384

[lilyskip]

"things might have gone terribly wrong"

It's that kind of thing that really bothers me about the way reptile mishaps are written up. Like some cheap voiceover for a cheesy godzilla movie. And we know that we've *all* felt the way that alligator did...trying to shake off an annoying male...hehe

[damzookeeper]

Originally posted by lilyskip
"things might have gone terribly wrong"

It's that kind of thing that really bothers me about the way reptile mishaps are written up. Like some cheap voiceover for a cheesy godzilla movie. And we know that we've *all* felt the way that alligator did...trying to shake off an annoying male...hehe

hahaha. I agree with you completely on the write up, but I liked that last comment most of all. made me lol.

[Zoe]

«We are inside the cage on a daily basis. Sometimes we even swim with them»

What, they don't have non idiot zookeepers in sweeden? Who the heck would swim with an alligator!

[SCReptiles]

It's that kind of thing that really bothers me about the way reptile mishaps are written up. Like some cheap voiceover for a cheesy godzilla movie.

I agree with you 100%, they always have to put a dangerous spin on it, even when there is no danger. This gater broke out and was leaving the scene. The man with the tree branch did nothing! That gater meant no harm to those kids. I get so hacked off when I read this kind of crap.

What, they don't have non idiot zookeepers in sweeden? Who the heck would swim with an alligator!

Well they are idiots in the fact that they kept these animals in an enclosure they could breakout of. I would have to assume that if they have sub-adult gaters behind glass they can break, they would also have sub-adult nile or salty crocs in the same glass. A 2 m salty may well have made a meal of those youngsters. But as to your question, I have swam with them, and most of the people in the states of FL, LA, and MS have. They are usually around, even when you do no see them. For the most part they mean no harm to people, however, an exaggerated specimen did kill a kid earlier this year, so attacks do occasionally happen.

[Lisa]

"To give Maja and her baby daughter a better view, the mother placed the pushchairs right at the front of the glass cage."

They shouldn't have put the pushchairs against the glass, it's that simple. thats why you usually see a neutral zone between you and the animals.