Demand Justice for a Poor Captive Lion Who Was Taunted by an Irresponsible Zookeeper in a Dangerous Stunt!
A zookeeper in Jamaica recently pulled a stunt so dangerous, it could have cost him his life — and the life of the poor, captive lion he decided to taunt. Viral footage taken by members of a tour group shows the employee teasing an imprisoned lion at the Jamaica Zoo in St. Elizabeth. As the zookeeper repeatedly puts his hand through the fence of the enclosure, the lion is clearly distressed, snapping and snarling at the stressful invasion of his space. And then, one snap turned the stunt into a very real emergency — the lion clamped down on the zookeeper’s finger.
The zookeeper will recover, but now this lion could be deemed a threat to humans through no fault of his own. We’ve seen this happen before — like the tiger who was shot to death in a Florida zoo after grabbing a man who was foolish enough to reach his arm into the animal’s enclosure. Sign to demand that things change at the Jamaica Zoo so this never happens again!
Male lions can grow as large as 550 pounds and 10 feet long. Why this zookeeper would treat such a massive, wild, naturally predatory animal like a house cat is beyond comprehension. It’s a miracle it did not do more harm to itself or the people around its enclosure. We must demand that Jamaica’s National Environment and Planning Agency, which has oversight of this zoo, steps in! This zookeeper must be fired, the lion sent to a sanctuary, and the zoo’s policies, training protocols, and enclosures updated so this never happens again! Help us make it happen by signing the petition!