15 Cases of Animal Handlers Being Killed by Their Trained Wild Animals – GWC Mag

Animal handling, especially with wild and exotic animals, is an inherently dangerous job. Despite the risks, animal handlers continue to put themselves in harm’s way by working with animals who are not meant to be domesticated or kept in captivity. This article will explore 15 cases of animal handlers who were killed by their trained wild animals and why it is unethical to exploit and domesticate wild animals for entertainment purposes.

1. Supachai Wongfaed (2022)

An elephant handler in Thailand was “torn in half” at a rubber plantation. According to the police, the heat made the animal “go crazy”. The handler was stabbed repeatedly by the elephant’s tusks before being ripped in half. Livestock officers urgently came to the scene and struck the elephant with a sedative dart to recover Supachai’s body.

2. Roy Horn (2003)

During one of Siegfried and Roy’s famous shows at the Mirage in Las Vegas, Nevada a seven-year-old Mantacore attacked Roy Horn on stage. The tiger bit Horn’s sleeve and refused to release. They tried to distract the tiger with meat, but he lept onto Horn, who suffered from intense blood loss and a stroke.

3. Shaheen Islam (2016)

A trainer at Alexandria’s Lion Village was torn apart during a presentation for students. A video shot by an audience member showed the lion tamer standing nose-to-nose with the lion just before the attack began. 

4. Unreleased Name (2019)

During a circus show in Russia, a bear attacked his handler. Footage shows the bear pushing a wheelbarrow, then following his handler upright in a walking position, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, the bear lunged at his trainer.

5. Charlee Torre (1993)

A trainer at Tampa Zoo was killed in 1993. CharLee Torre unshackled the elephant and began pulling her toward the barn gate. Suddenly, Tillie the Elephant knocked Torre to the ground with her trunk and kicked her. 

6. Wichai Madee (2017)

A Japanese elephant trainer was killed by an elephant. The trainer was washing a large animal at the Japanese zoo, Adventure World. The elephant became angry and then hit and killed the zoo worker with his trunk.

7. Rosa King (2017)

In May of 2017, Rosa King was killed by a Malayan tiger at Hamerton Zoo Park in Cambridgeshire, England. A metal gate was supposed to separate workers from the tigers, but it was left open. When the zookeeper went to clean the enclosure she was in the same place as the tiger and attacked.

8. Kushalappa Gowda (2012)

A zookeeper at Pilikula Nisardgadhama in Mangalore entered a squeezer cage despite warnings. Raja, an ailing tiger, attacked and killed him.

9. Patty Perry (2019)

A wildlife conservationist and founder of Wildlife Environmental Conservation, a sanctuary in Moorpark, California was killed in 2019. She housed 50 animals including tigers. During a special event for donors, Patty entered the tiger cage. She attempted to “play” with them but the Bengal wrapped up her legs and dragged her to the ground.

10. Santos Esquivel Nájera (2021)

A lion escaped captivity in Northern Guatemala and fled through the animal park. Then, the lion attacked their handler and killed him. 

11. West Mathewson (2020)

South African conservationist West Mathewson was walking the two white lions that he hand-reared. Without warning, one of the animals attacked and killed him.

12. Kabelo Mashao (2023)

A safari park ranger in South Africa was on his usual patrolling duties at the Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve. When he was attempting to coax a bull elephant through a gate it had opened and back to the reserve, the elephant trampled him to death. 

13. Unknown Names (1999)

Two chimpanzees at the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, Utah escaped from their cages in February of 1999. The chimpanzees subsequently attacked two staff members. 

14. Dallas Beckwith and Allen Campbell (1994)

During a performance at Circus International in Honolulu, HI Tyke the elephant trampled and critically injured her groomer. After throwing him around, Tyke used her trunk to drag and crush her handler to death. 

15. Dawn Brancheau (2010)

A whale trainer was killed at Seaworld in Orlando, FL. The 12,000-pound killer whale dragged their trainer into the tank. 

Why Animal Handling is A Bad Idea

Training wild animals is not only a dangerous profession, but it is also unconscionable. Wild animals are not meant to be domesticated, exploited, or used for the entertainment of humans. The unpredictable and uncontrollable nature of these animals makes them particularly dangerous, not only for the trainers but also for the public who may be in proximity to them.

Interacting with wild animals disrupts their natural order, leading to a wide range of behavioral problems along with health issues caused by captivity and mistreatment. We should appreciate these creatures from afar in their natural habitats, giving them the respect and dignity they deserve. The events detailed above serve as a warning that we should not be interacting with these creatures – either voluntarily or involuntarily – in any way that puts human life in danger, or subverts the animal’s natural way of life.

Conclusion

The use of wild animals for entertainment is a practice that needs to be eliminated. The deaths of animal handlers detailed in this article demonstrate the inherent risks involved in domesticating wild animals and using them for entertainment. It’s time for humans to respect animals. By doing so, we can reduce the number of tragic incidents and prevent the unnecessary loss of human and animal life in the future.

Sign this petition to urge Thailand to ban the captive tiger entertainment industry!

Empty The Cages by Tiny Rescue: Animal Collection

Related Content:

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!