(Dagbladet): While the staff in Kristiansand Zoo mourns giraffe Melvin after he was killed by an antelope Monday, visitors are frustrated with the way the accident was handled.
The five year old giraffe had stuck his head in a fence at the zoo, while around 20, 30 visitors were standing watching.
– It was bad, says one of them told Dagbladet.
– Run each our way
– We sat and drank coffee and looked at giraffes, when we realized that he had jammed. There were two of us who run our separate ways – we knocked on all staff-doors, but it was not a man to watch. It was too late when they finally got to the place, she says.
In the meantime, the world’s largest antelope, one elandantilope, headed giraffe several times in the abdomen. The long horns impaled Melvins heart and lungs.
The woman Dagbladet has spoken with, who do not want the name or picture in the newspaper, said she and her family are left with a feeling of frustration and helplessness.
– There is a huge park, and scary for both humans and animals when it happens something like that. There were children who stood and watched. It was awful to see – he stood there totally helpless, and we could not get one guard. It came one person, but it did not seem as if they were prepared. It was disgusting, she says.
– Ten to 20 minutes
Dagbladet has talked with the park director and veterinarian, and both stressed that such incidents almost never happens. And when the accident was first out, says vet Melvin could not have been saved when antelope had inflicted giraffe fatal injuries.
Dyreparkens director says they were well staffed.
– We have zookeepers on guard all the time, but these animals are not supervised at all times. I will reply with reservation, since we did not get passed through the whole incident until tomorrow – but it came to four zookeepers after a short time.
– It took between ten and 20 minutes – and considering that it is also a holiday, so I think it testifies good preparedness, says CEO Per Arnstein Aamondt Dagbladet.
Veterinary Rolf Arne Ølberg left home as soon as he was notified that Melvin was severely injured.
– We could clearly to fix the injuries he suffered at sticking, but he has been unlucky, he told Dagbladet earlier tonight.
He realized that the damage was great and brought a tube of oxygen, intravenous fluids and anesthetic.
– You must have special equipment. We could not see the extent of the damage then, but had to try as best we could. We hoped it was something we could fix, but he died before we got come so far, he said.
– Called switchboard came to ticket service
The woman Dagbladet has spoken with, is Monday night still shaken by what she saw earlier today. She made sure that her children did not saw what happened.
– We called the switchboard, but came to the ticket service. It was what was the worst. I think they should have an alarm system. Whom to contact? What if a child had fallen down? she asks.
– It was bad handling. When he was dead, came the other giraffes and laid his head on top of him, she says.
Dyreparkens director says the park will evaluate the event.
– It is tragic and sad. We will consider whether anything could have been done, it becomes part of the evaluation. Immediately I think that it testifies good preparedness, says Aamodt.
Will change the fences
– Visitors say they are afraid of what would have happened, had a child fell over the fence and down Cows. Would you have been on site faster then?
– It will be the same. Cows are secured in another way, it is a hypothetical and difficult question to answer. But we feel that we have good preparedness – but we are humble that things can always be better, and we try all the time to get to, he says.
Zoo alerts to Dagbladet that they will check – and probably change – all the fences of the same type as Melvin stuck in.
– We must make a careful review of the fences and everything now. We must examine what is investigating. It is difficult to do anything about what has happened, but it’s obvious that we make a change on the fences, says veterinarian Rolf Arne Ølberg Dagbladet.
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