So we went to Lory Farm Zoo yesterday...

Drazen · So we went to Lory Farm Zoo yesterday...

...with my wife and kid. Had a great time seeing all the animals up close and walking between all the parrots in the open.

We decide to go check out the feeding at the tiger enclosure where we follow a team of zoo crew pushing a wheelbarrow of fresh meat.

I noticed a young petite girl with a foreign accent chatting with one of the keepers and assisting with the feeding.

The male tiger gets seperated during feeding as he beats up the female over the food, so he gets put into a seperate holding cell and given his food there. I see this girl go in through an entrance and hear the male going growling at the smell of the meat. The girl came out with her hands bloodied from the meat, with a satisfactory smile as she walked out. The team went further up to feed the lions but we decided to stay and watch the tigers feeding.

Today we hear on the news that her hand got mauled by a female lion when she put her bloodied hand through whatever opening to stroke the lion and was rushed to hospital. We didn't now this happened whilst we were there ... eish, poor girl!

The short story here http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za/articleprog.aspx?id=24836

Despite this incident, a recommended zoo as you can see a lot of cool animals within minimal walking distance.

Shark

Shame man poor girl. Hope she is going to be OK..

Drazen where is this zoo bud?

Drazen

Midrand, trust me, a great one to go to with kids and family Shark

Shark

Thanks bud.

Cuzzen

Draz

Also heard it on 94.7 today.... :sho

ck:

Da Cuz

Lino

Eish not cool to hear... about that girls hand outch......

Yeah heard the Zoo in Midrand is a very nice place to goto with family and all...

Bats_197

I know the place well, and was actually thinking about organising a breafast run there in the near future..

Chilli is good mates with the owners of the place and her birds (& my baby Lucy) are on a little holiday there at the moment..

This is Lucy, you probably saw her running around in the garden / eating a peanut butter sarmi (she's got the baby voice, and runs around saying helloooo)

The owners of the place have raised the lions since they were young and therefore are able to stick there hands into the enclosure without any problem..
Apparently the girl that got mauled thought it would be ok for her to do the same but as she doesn't have the same connection with them, and so she got mauled..

Horrible story, but she was crossing the line and the lions where acting on instinct...

Bats_197

I still think we need to take the families out there one weekend, and will discuss with Chilli and her mates on how best we can organise somethign properly.

Dr Phill

Shame, hope she recovers o.k!
Lory Park Zoo is really nice, agree with Mario. Nice animals and you dont have to walk miles!!

Chilli

Hey everyone - nice to hear that my friend's zoo is on the forum and that someone thinks it is cool. Lory Park is run by a husband and wife who started off with Owl rescue and rehab, as many Owls are hit by cars on the roads in and around Midrand. They then got into rescue of exotic birds and slowly everything else too. It is now a fully functional zoo, run with a real love for animals (Their enclosures are beautiful compared to the ones on Carte Blanche a while ago). Many animals are "dumped" there on a weekly basis, especially the loud ones like Cockatoos and are re-homed or given a safe and loved home at the zoo. The place is run on funds from people visiting and animal sponsorships and volunteers, they get no help from Government. If any of you are interested in a breakfast run to the zoo, I can organise something with the owners. Going to fetch our 3 noisy white brats today, so will find out how the Belgian student is doing.

Bats_197

Drazen

Hey Bats, Lucy was running on the ground shouting the odds LOL ... an elderly lady was showing us how she bunjee jumps, it was quite a hoot (at least I think they called her Lucy).

I think a brekkie run there is an excellent idea

Shark