A zoo worker who was attacked by a tiger has died of her injuries.
Sarah McClay, 24, was attacked by a Sumatran tiger in an enclosure at South Lakes Wild Animal Park, near Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria, on Friday.
Det Supt Andrew Flattery from Cumbria Police said its inquiry was centred on "the management of dangerous animals".
David Gill, the park's owner, told BBC Radio 5 live there was "no reason" for Ms McClay to be in the enclosure with the tigers.
Mr Flattery said "systems and protocols" at the park were being investigated.
"At this stage it is not a criminal investigation," he said.
'Inexplicable reasons'
Mr Gill said Ms McClay was a "very experienced" staff member who had worked with big cats and was "proficient and passionate" at her job, but staff should have no direct contact with the tigers.
"We have very strict protocols and procedures for working with big cats, but it seems she failed to follow correct procedures," he said.
"For inexplicable reasons she opened a door and walked into the enclosure.
"We will never know why she entered without telling anyone. There was no reason for her to go in there."
Mr Gill described Ms McClay as a "bubbly, happy girl" and described her death as a "tragedy for her family and all the staff".
He said the attack happened at about 16:00 BST on Friday and he believed it was witnessed by one member of the public.
The park was closed early and all visitors evacuated from the area, but following discussions with investigators and staff a decision had been made to reopen as usual on Saturday.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment
You only need to enter your comment once! Comments will appear once they have been moderated. This is so as to stop the would-be comedian who has been spamming the comments here with inane and often offensive remarks. You know who you are!