Tiger handler 'mistaken for toy'

Ninemsn staff

November 27, 2013

Shocking new footage has emerged showing the moment a tiger’s affectionate moment with his trainer at Australia Zoo turned dangerous, as the giant animal gripped the handler by the neck and dragged him underwater.

The 114kg tiger that mauled an Australia Zoo handler mistook the trainer for one of its favourite toys, the zoo's director says.

Dave Styles, 30, normally wears khaki inside the enclosure at the Sunshine Coast zoo.

But on Tuesday afternoon he was dressed in a blue poncho-top with bags over his hands, while preparing to film a BBC documentary.

The Courier-Mail reports that the outfit made him resemble garbage bags that the big cats bite and maul as play toys.

Zoo director Wes Mannion confirmed the bag-like suit was used as an "enrichment" tool during the tiger play session.

Mr Mannion said the six-year-old, 114kg Sumatran-Bengal known as Charlie became "overexcited" and mistook Mr Styles for a toy.

November 27, 2013: New vision has emerged of a senior trainer at the Australia Zoo being mauled by a tiger.

"We don't try and stop them from biting the toys they play with and, like I said, it was an accident," he was quoted as saying.

"He didn't think he had a human, he thought he had a toy."

Charlie the tiger left Mr Styles with serious wounds when he dragged him into the pool and bit him on the neck and shoulder.

Concerns have been raised that the tiger team was trying to excite the big cat to obtain footage for a six-month BBC filming project at the zoo.

At the time of the attack, Mr Styles had a GoPro camera strapped to his head to familiarise the big cats with the device.

The zoo insists the camera was not filming at the time, however.

November 26, 2013: An employee of Queensland’s Australia Zoo has been airlifted to hospital after he was reportedly mauled by a tiger.

Source: Ninesmen
Author: Erin Tennant, Approving editor: Nicholas McCallum