Rosa King Hamerton Zoo animal keeper killed by tiger Country: Great Britain

1. Tragedy at Hamerton Zoo: Animal Keeper Killed by Tiger
2. Friend Remembers Rosa King as a Devoted Zookeeper
3. Rosa King: A Life Devoted to Animals

Tragedy at Hamerton Zoo: Animal Keeper Killed by Tiger

The animal keeper at Hamerton Zoo, whose desperate screams were heard by visitors, was killed by a tiger. The fate of the animal is currently unknown, but many believe that its victim would not have wanted it to be killed. Witnesses claim that colleagues of 33-year-old Rosa King desperately tried to save her by distracting the big cat with chunks of meat. Over a hundred visitors were evacuated from Hamerton Zoo in Cambridgeshire when 'all hell broke loose', and police and paramedics rushed to the scene. Rosa's mother, Andrea, stated that her daughter was dedicated to her work and added, 'She wouldn't have done anything else. This is what she always did, what she always loved.' Social media has been actively discussing the possibility of the tiger being put down, but no official statements have been made on the matter. Witness Pete Davis said that in his opinion, King was attacked when she rushed to help one of her colleagues in the tiger enclosure. 'There's no doubt it was a girl's scream and something terrible had happened,' Davis recalls. 'It looked like the tiger had pounced on her.' 'Rosa ran into the enclosure after hearing one of her colleagues shout, and within seconds all hell broke loose.' Pete adds, 'Rosa let out a blood-curdling scream, and then another keeper ran out shouting 'run!' 'There was complete panic. Keepers were throwing buckets of meat to try to get the tigers under control.'

Friend Remembers Rosa King as a Devoted Zookeeper

Wildlife photographer Garry Chisholm, a close friend of Rosa King, stated on the day of the tragedy, 'I have lost a very dear friend who loved the animals in her care so much.' 'I wish I could say more, but right now I am trying to come to terms with this news.' The next morning, Garry wrote on Facebook, 'Rosa was not just an animal keeper, she embodied Hamerton Zoo.' 'She was the absolute heart and soul of it. Everything revolved around her.' 'Her burning passion for looking after animals was simply exceptional, although undoubtedly her favorites were cheetahs, which she called her joy and pride.' 'Rosa raised funds for cheetah conservation. She actively participated in charity skydives. I was thrilled when she approached me and asked if she could use one of my photos to promote her fundraising campaign.' Chisholm adds, 'Having the chance to meet Rosa and call her a friend was a privilege for me. I will greatly miss her, as will everyone who knew her.' 'The only solace that can be found in all these tragic events is that Rosa has been reunited with her beloved cheetah Ares and her favorite tigers, Blizzard and Ladybelle.'

Rosa King: A Life Devoted to Animals

Rosa King grew up in Chippenham, Wiltshire, and after finishing secondary school, she attended Wiltshire College, where she obtained a diploma in animal care. She had planned to participate in a skydive with four of her colleagues on July 6, 2017, to raise money for the Cheetah Conservation Fund. A zoo spokesperson stated that Rosa's death was a tragic accident. 'At no point during the incident did any of the animals leave their enclosures,' he added, 'and public safety was never at risk.' Victoria Holmes, a visitor to the zoo on that fateful day, recalls, 'I was photographing the tigers in the field, and then they came right up to the fence. At that moment, several keepers came down the hill to the next tiger enclosure.' 'We didn't know what was happening, but the keepers looked concerned. I continued walking up the hill to the next enclosure when someone shouted 'run!' 'Our group rushed into the keepers' rooms, where we stayed for 10 minutes until we were allowed to leave.' Holmes continues, 'At that moment, based on the staff's reaction, we knew something had happened inside the enclosure.' 'We saw zoo staff on the other side of the barrier. They were throwing chunks of meat, trying to get the animals' attention.' Another visitor, Maxine Foster-Johnson, adds, 'I can't imagine the anguish the poor colleagues went through as they desperately ran around, trying to distract the tiger with large pieces of meat.' Hamerton Zoo opened in June 1990 on a 25-acre site. Visitors can admire Malaysian and Bengal tigers, cheetahs, wolves, fennec foxes, kangaroos, as well as a variety of birds, reptiles, and domestic animals. New enclosures for Malaysian tigers were opened in July 2016. The park is home to Bengal tigers Shiva and Mohan, as well as Malaysian tigers Sisi and Sahaja.