'I work in zoo safety to stop tiger attacks - my warning to visitors across UK'

'I work in zoo safety to stop tiger attacks - my warning to visitors across UK' After the tragic tiger attack in Yorkshire at the weekend, Mirror speaks to a safety expert on what measures are in place to protect zoo-goers, and what happens when these fail For families visiting Yorkshire Wildlife Park this past weekend, what should have been a carefree day out descended into a nightmare. Tragedy struck when a man was fatally mauled by a tiger after he "jumped about 12ft" into the enclosure on Saturday afternoon. The incident has raised questions about zoo safety in the UK, and whether visitors can ever be 100 per cent safe around wild animals in captivity. Shocked eyewitnesses told of how, moments before leaping from the viewing platform, the unnamed man had been posing for photographs with the tiger in the background. As the man made his descent into the enclosure, brave onlookers at the Land of Tigers exhibit tried to stop him, with one woman unable to pull him back to safety as she "wasn't strong enough". At first Altai, the Amur tiger involved in the attack, circled the man and pawed at him. Animal keeper Reece Oliver told Sky News: "I don't think it knew what he was going to do, because the only thing that goes into that enclosure normally would be enrichment toys or food." Then, the tiger struck, with devastating consequences. One onlooker told the Mirror: "It was quite bad. We were just stood there, frozen... the last thing we saw was the tiger's jaw on his neck." Rangers who fired warning shots "did everything they could" to put a stop to the tragedy, and were able to scare Altai away by firing gas-powered acoustic guns into the air, prompting him to flee to a nearby shelter. Sadly, nothing could be done to save the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene. So what measures are in place across the country to prevent such tragedies? According to Cate Walter, co-owner of Cheshire-based health and safety consultancy company Rhino Safety Ltd, the UK is a "world leader" on ensuring zoos are as safe as they can possibly be. Cate, who has worked with local zoos on their safety strategies, explains that primary legislation at play is the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 and the UK Government's Secretary of State's Standards of Modern Zoo Practice (SSSZP), which both require regular inspections from local authorities. In addition to following the same standard safety legislation expected of all businesses, animal welfare must also be considered. Risk assessments are carried out for all animals, taking into account workers who come into contact with them and the wider public safety. "What that usually entails is making sure that the enclosures are appropriate for the animal, and that they're an appropriate size so that the animal doesn't feel the need to try and explore further," Cate explains. "But they have to take reasonable measures. It's not a case of every single animal in every single zoo has to be locked down in a cage that's completely impenetrable, because that wouldn't be reasonable in the circumstances." The main priority of any safety plan is ensuring that visitors can't accidentally wander into or fall into an enclosure. High fencing is used to keep curious children out, for example. But with each animal comes a different set of risks. Enclosures containing dangerous animals such as big cats and large primates - deemed Category 1 - will have reinforced materials such as toughened laminated safety glass, high-tensile steel mesh, while deep moats or dry ditches can create additional barriers. Animals that are adept at jumping and climbing - like gibbons and leopards - are housed in enclosures with inward-angled perimeter overhangs, mesh overhangs, and electric-wire pulses, plus perimeter "stand-off" barriers to prevent visitors from leaning over for a better look. And zoos housing high-risk burrowing species, such as wild dogs and bears, have to ensure that concrete footings or subterranean steel mesh are in place beneath the ground, stopping any would-be escape attempts. Meanwhile, entries in any enclosures are strictly off limits. A double-door air-lock system is required for dangerous animal enclosures, with outer and inner doors providing additional protection against escape. In some particularly risky enclosures, mechanical interlocks ensure that the second door cannot be opened until the first one is secured. But there is sadly only so much any business can do when it comes to those intent on entering an enclosure. "It's all about what's within reason and proportionate to both the level of risk and what the company can achieve," Cate says. "Obviously, in this situation with a tiger, the level of risk we know is extremely high; that's very obvious from the type of animal it is. "There have to be quite stringent measures in place, but it's also important to recognise that you can't possibly stop or prevent every single person who might be determined to overcome those measures." When the worst happens, Cate says there will be different emergency protocols in place depending on the type of animal the zoo is dealing with, with tigers naturally posing a very high level of danger. "They will have a protocol for potentially locking down either the immediate area or the entire zoo as a whole," she explains. "They will also have protocols for contacting the local relevant authorities. The local authorities will also have its own emergency procedures in place for that establishment. They will know that they have a priority system, so that if they get a call in from that establishment, they have their own procedures that automatically kick in and that they follow." "There will be certain members of staff who are trained to deal with emergencies, and those who will have particular roles in responding to that incident. So that can be things like having certain members of staff who go to the enclosure, it could be those who are nominated to contact the local authorities, and others who will be designated to implement security around the entire perimeter." As for any visitors who find themselves caught up in an incident, Cate encourages them to "step back and let the people who know what they're doing get on with their job". She warns: "Even things like phoning 999 and ambulances and things like that, the zoo will have already had that in place through their emergency procedures. Sometimes, having a large volume of calls into the call handling centre can actually confuse the situation. "As an onlooker your best bet is to raise the alarm with nearby members of staff, but once that's been done, probably just remove yourself and listen out for any instructions that are given by the workers and the staff that are nearby. "Panic is never good in those types of situations. I would say it's almost similar to a terror event. You need to try to stay calm, follow instructions, and not get in the way of the people who are trained to actually deal with that." While these incidents are exceptionally rare, there have been other catastrophes involving tigers at UK zoos. In May 2013, 24-year-old zookeeper Sarah McClay was killed by a Sumatran tiger after entering what should have been a secure keeper's corridor at Cumbria's South Lakes Safari Zoo. The director later pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches. In May 2017, senior carnivore keeper Rosa King, 33, was mauled to death by a Malayan tiger while cleaning enclosure windows at Cambridgeshire's Hamerton Zoo Park. The zoo was issued a health and safety improvement notice by local authorities, while Rosas' death led to calls for better double-door security implementation. One particularly devastating incident occurred across the pond at San Francisco Zoo when, on Christmas Day 2007, a four-year-old Siberian tiger named Tatiana managed to break free of her enclosure, leaping across a 12.5-foot dry moat and a 12.5-foot wall, likely provoked by visitors taunting her. Carlos Sousa Jr. , 17, was killed during the attack, while his two friends, brothers Amritpal 'Paul' Dhaliwal and Kulbir Dhaliwal, were badly injured. Tatiana was shot dead by police, stopping the rampage. In the aftermath, the San Francisco Zoo implemented significant safety updates, including raising enclosure walls to 19 feet. In the case at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, it been confirmed that Altai the tiger will not be euthanised. There is no suggestion of any concerns over the zoo's safety measures. The zoo, which remains closed today, said in a statement: "Due to the serious incident that occurred at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday, the 10th of October, unfortunately, the park remains closed for the whole of Monday, the 12th of October. "Anyone with a booking for this date will be contacted within the next five working days with details of how to reschedule your booking. We apologise for the late notice and any inconvenience caused." Do you have a story to share? Email me at [email protected]