Petaling Jaya,Malaysia: [as reported by The NST]
A visitor to the Zoo Negara here was viciously attacked by a wild animal which is believed to be a leopard. However, both parents of the victim said it was a Puma that attacked their daughter.
Zoo Negara or the National Zoo is on of the best managed zoo in the region. Beside it’s limited size, it has a wide variety of animals from all over the world.
The female victim who is known as Haw Qian Tong was badly injured around the mouth that required ten stitches.
Up till the moment this news is reported it was still not clear which animal really did the harm on the girl. The statement by the Zoo authorities contradicted the story told by the parents to the press.
Madam Haw, the girl’s mother told the press that the Puma clawed her daughter while she was standing near the cage with her back to the gate. Apparently, from that position she [the victim] could not see the wild cat approaching.
The father, Mr Haw. then went to her daughter’s aid. Seeing the man approaching the animal let go and retreated. Haw Qian Tong [the victim] was bleeding from the mouth, cheek and neck.
The Director of Zoo Negara, Dr Mohammad Ngah blamed both parents for the incident. He claimed that the Haw family did not adhere to the safety regulation as written on notice boards at the animal’s cage.
What amazes photographers when they went to the zoo to take a look of the puma’s enclosure was the fact that they were instead shown the leopard’s cage. The leopard’s cage was well guarded and there is ample space between the visitor and the cage. This Buffer Zone is also decorated with potted plants.
What irked the girl’s parents further was that their daughter was not given a ‘first-aid treatment’ before sending her to a hospital.
Dr Mohammad Ngah, The Zoo Director told the press that there are many cases of visitors blatantly ignoring safety warnings pointed to by the zoo staffs. Furthermore he said that the Zoo adopted a high standard operating procedure. This is to ensure that all visitors can enjoy their visit and be very safe too.
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