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24-Year-Old Intern Mauled by Tiger at Calif. Animal Park: It Was Her ‘Dream Job’

Mar. 7, 2013 7:13am Jonathon M. Seidl

Intern Mauled to Death by Lion at California Animal Park

An officer guards the gate near at the entrance of Cat Haven, the exotic animal park in central California where a 26-year old female volunteer intern was killed by a lion, Wednesday, March 6, 2013 in Dunlap, Calif. Credit: AP

DUNLAP, Calif. (AP) — Authorities are trying to determine what provoked a lion at an exotic animal park in Central California to attack and maul to death a 24-year-old woman, who had been on the job as an intern there for just a few weeks.

The woman was attacked and killed Wednesday when she entered the male African lion’s enclosure at Cat Haven about 45 miles east of Fresno, authorities said.

Sheriff’s deputies responding to an emergency call from Cat Haven found the woman severely injured and still lying inside the enclosure with the lion nearby, Fresno County sheriff’s Lt. Bob Miller said.

Another park worker couldn’t lure the lion into another pen, so deputies shot and killed it to safely reach the wounded woman. But she died at the scene, Miller said.

Paul Hanson, a Seattle-area attorney, identified the victim as his daughter Dianna Hanson of Brier, Wash. He said he drove his daughter from her home on New Year’s Day, arriving at Cat Haven Jan. 2.

“She was very excited,” Hanson told The Associated Press late Wednesday. “It was just a dream job for her.”

Hanson said she had been fascinated by big cats from an earlier age.

“She was absolutely fearless,” he said.

Cat Haven founder and executive director Dale Anderson was crying as he read a one-sentence statement about the fatal mauling at the private zoo he has operated since 1993.

Hanson with two Cheetahs. (Linked in via CBS Sacramento)

Investigators were trying to determine why the intern was inside the enclosure and what might have provoked the attack, sheriff’s Sgt. Greg Collins said. The facility is normally closed on Wednesdays, and only one other worker was there when the mauling happened, he said.

This Oct. 12, 2012 photo released by JP Marketing shows a 4-year-old male African lion named Couscous at Cat Haven, a private wild animal park in Dunlap, Calif. Authorities say the lion killed a female intern-volunteer on Wednesday, March 6, 2013, at Cat Haven, where the cat had been raised since it was a cub. The intern was attacked and fatally injured after getting into an enclosure with the lion, Fresno County sheriff’s Sgt. Greg Collins said. Credit: AP

California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Janice Mackey said she was unaware if any state regulations would prohibit an employee from entering an exotic animal’s enclosure.

The lion, a 4-year-old male named Cous Cous, had been raised at Cat Haven since it was a cub, said Tanya Osegueda, a spokeswoman for Project Survival, the nonprofit that operates the animal park.

Since the 100-acre facility just west of Kings Canyon National Park opened two decades ago, it has housed numerous big cats, including tigers, leopards and other exotic species. It is permitted to house exotic animals by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and is regulated as a zoo by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Results of the last 13 USDA inspections show no violations dating back to March 2010. The most recent inspection was Feb. 4.

Despite state regulations requiring annual inspections, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife most recently inspected the facility in January 2011, when the inspector found it in “good condition” after checking animal health and features such as enclosures.

“We have to do the best we can with the resources we’re provided,” said department spokeswoman Jordan Traverso. “Regardless of whether it was inspected, that wouldn’t have prevented this from happening.”

Cat Haven’s current “restricted species” permit, which expires in November, states the park was authorized to house 47 animals but had only 28. The animals must be used for scientific or educational purposes.

Actress Tippi Hedren, who founded the Shambala Preserve in Southern California, home to 53 seized or abandoned exotic pets, expressed dismay over the killing of the lion.

“It wasn’t the lion’s fault. It’s the human’s fault always,” Hedren said.

Nicole Paquette, vice president of the Humane Society of the United States, said the victim of Wednesday’s attack should never have been in the enclosure with the animal.

“These are big cats that are extremely dangerous, and they placed a volunteer in the actual cage with a wild animal,” she said. “That should have never happened.”

Officials at another big cat sanctuary, Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Fla., told The Associated Press last year that at least 21 people, including five children, have been killed and 246 mauled by exotic cats in the United States since 1990. Over that period, 254 cats escaped and 143 were killed.

In 2007, a tiger at the San Francisco Zoo was killed by police after jumping out of its enclosure and fatally mauling a 17-year-old boy and injuring two other people.

Cat Haven has housed Bengal tigers, jaguars and leopards as well as bobcats native to the area. The facility’s website says it promotes conservation and preservation of wild cats in their native habitats and offers visitors tours and educational outreach.

Anderson said Project Survival would investigate to see if the intern and the other worker on-site followed the group’s protocols.

“We take every precaution to ensure the safety of our staff, animals and guests,” he said in a statement.

—

Associated Press writers Kathy McCarthy in Seattle, Garance Burke in San Francisco and Sue Manning in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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Comments (54)

Marsh626
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 7:53pm
Environmentalism claims another life.

People these days worship nature and hate humans. So much so that they’d rather go hiking without a firearm because they’d rather die than kill a “majestic” bear or mountain lion.

These animal lovers give wild beasts human characteristic and just trust that they’ll never harm them because they’re “friends”. And if they do get killed, oh well, they died doing what they love…

The “liberal” cancer has fogged the minds of the masses…

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- mikem1969
  Posted on March 8, 2013 at 10:08am
  I carry a shotgun with first round bean bag, second round rubber, after that its fatal.
  
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djmaine
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 4:42pm
Wild, top of the food chain carnivores are dangerous. If you are near one you are one blink from death.
It really is that simple. It is just a matter of time.

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sbenard
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 3:23pm
Her “dream job” has now become her “nightmare” instead — one with fangs!

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- Caballosinnombre
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 3:44pm
  A hungry lion, feeding time, and a walk-in meal. Pretty obvious to me, sorry to say.
  
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HUSSAR
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 2:15pm
Hey Blaze it was a Lion not a Tiger check your headline.

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- Jive Mickey
  Posted on March 8, 2013 at 10:10am
  LION not Tiger or Bear Oh My! LION not Tiger or Bear Oh My! Just another day in the land of Oz.
  
  Report this comment
beggindog
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 1:46pm
Forget the prey aspect, you can really get hurt just ‘playing’ with these animals…

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- Gremlin1974
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 8:00pm
  Exactly, I know a guy that works at a large cat sanctuary and I have been lucky enough to get a view of some of these beautiful animals and even gotten to pet and touch one very sedated tiger. But my buddy said something to me that I will never forget when we were getting ready to enter the staff area he told me to; “Always remember that these animals are just as take as your average house cat that has a cat door leading outside.” Then he said; “Now stop for a second and really think about how ‘tame’ a house cat really is, because I know you have been clawed by one. The difference is these house cats weigh 400 to 600 lbs and have 3 to 4 inch claws that are just as sharp as your cats.” Frankly, he then told me something to the effect of; “so keep your head up out of your ass while you are in here.” lol.
  
  If she was doing this job she obviously loved these animals, which means that she accepted the risk of working with them, unfortunately she didn’t beat the odds.
  
  Now for those of you who are going: “OMG they shot the poor lion.” Note that they only did that AFTER they tried to lead him away from the critically injured girl, sometimes there just isn’t a choice, it is unfortunate but true. Also, with some of these animals there is the danger of them basically getting a “taste” for people and they become “man eaters”, so take that into consideration as well.
  
  Report this comment
OniKaze
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:24pm
Who DOESN’T know why this happend??

It is simple…

Lions (and All cats in general) are predators… They find weaker creatures and survive by eating them.. The lion looked at this girl, and had an epiphany… I am sure it went something like this “You know…. I am Lion.. I am big, Hungry, and strong… Human girl is not, and IS made of meat…. You know, my ancestors had a word for things like her in the wild… What was it again…. Ohh Yeah… DINNER!!”

Thats all that is needed to understand…

I feel bad for the poor girl, and as a fellow lover of Big Cats (and Predators in general) she HAD to know this was a VERY real possibility… I have a half-Breed Bobcat, and while she is not MUCH larger than a standard house cat (maybe 20% larger, roughly) and is VERY loving to me, I make no illusions that my cat could REALLY hurt someone else if she wanted to… Which is why I don’t let kids come to my house, or let people come over unless they KNOW about “the Kitty” and know NOT to get close to her since she doesn’t seem to like anyone but me….

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- Baddoggy
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:54pm
  Gene pool got stronger….
  
  Report this comment
- HAWKWIND
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 2:30pm
  ONIKAZE – well said. The world of nature s not how Walt Disney portrays it. So they shot the Lion for being a Lion. Her however-well-intentioned actions cost that great animal its life. Way to go! And BADDOGGY is right – Darwin’s theory in action.
  
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The_Pointy_End
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:21pm
“Investigators were trying to determine why the intern was inside the enclosure and what might have provoked the attack.” I’m going out on a limb here….but a lion is a carnivore. It is ALWAYS going to try and kill you.

The only relevant question is, why the hell was an inexperienced intern in the cage?

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BSdetector
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:13pm
So what exactly mauled her? The headline says Tiger, the article says Lion, and she’s pictured with 2 Cheetahs. /sarcasm
The blaze could at least read the article first to get their part correct…

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SpaceRaider
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:03pm
If an animal has been neglected or abused by people, they can often develop conditions similar to humans. Just like some people have outbursts, animals can do this too. Humans and animals are all creatures with souls and personalities and while most can overcome things that happened in the past, some can’t. You never drop your guard. I can usually help people and animals get over these things but in a case like this, you’re working with the equivalent of a possible bi-polar that’s borderline and armed with a tank. While some people are willing to risk their lives helping people with these problems, others will risk everything to help animals. I do both and would rather die doing something like this than in a concentration camp. However, placing yourself in a dangerous situation like this without someone for backup is just begging for something bad to happen! It’s not like these big animals are cute and cuddly kittens, these things can kill bears… if you’re going to do this type of work, you need to use your b r a i n. Oh, and maybe be packin a .45.

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Abigail Adams
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 11:44am
Why do some assume she was a liberal, just because she loved animals? That’s ridiculous.

Even the picture of the woman here shows her next to wild cats. This facility didn’t seem to have good protocols. I know at Pt Defiance Zoo, they staff never gets into the habitats with the big predators. Or the elephants, either. They have an elaborate cage system behind the tiger exhibits that allow them safe access to thier Tigers.
No one should have large predators without the training and knowledge to safely care for them. I am sorry this woman paid the price

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- OniKaze
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:28pm
  In some places, a “big cat” can grow to care about a person and will NOT think of that person as Prey (but typically, that person has to raise the cat from newborn to adulthood for the cat to recognize them as “family” not “Food”)… And if this girl was not the one who raised that Lion, then it is no Surprise to me that this happend…
  
  Its unfortunate, but this is “Animals 101″, if a Predator doesn’t look at you as a “parent”, then it most likely sees you as “Prey”….
  
  If you want to see a good example of what I am talking about, youtube “Christian the Lion” or “Lions never Forget”… Great story, touching video… I challenge you NOT to cry…
  
  Report this comment
COFemale
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 10:42am
“Authorities are trying to determine what provoked the lion to attack” Hello he is a wild animal. He does not need a reason. She was a meal plain and simple. Also the fact they put the animal down. Why not tranquilize the animal rather than kill it. It was in its habitat and she invaded it.

This is what Liberals don’t understand, they get this sense of surety where none should exist. They tell themselves a wild animal would not attack them, because they are their friend. They know I won’t hurt them, but they forget the animal will hurt them given the chance.

Such a sad loss from a stupid act. She brought this on herself and now she paid the consequence and her family is grieving. I hope she finds piece in her afterlife.

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- objectivetruth
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 11:48am
  Why kill it?Afraid of disease perhaps.
  Yes they are wild animals.Actually more specifically semi domesticated.Lions just like house cats are very social creatures.There was another worker there with her.Did the other worker have access to the lion its whole life.Perhaps raising it from kittenhood.If so it may be as easy as finding out what transpired right before the attack.Lions like housecats protect and nuture any creature they consider part of their pride/pack.If the intern was horse playing with the worker then the cat may have thought the worker was in trouble.It did what it would normally do.Protect and defend.Due to the brutality of the attack I suspect that this is what happened.That or some unknown disease perhaps.In normal play mode the intern would have been harmed simply due to the lions size.This appeared to be vicious
  though.Brutal and seemingly out of the blue.
  
  Report this comment
eifer
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 10:23am
Nature is unforgiving and lions are massively powerful predators. People who think they are safe around this kind of animal are delusional.

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- Yeah_Buddy
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 10:46am
  It’s not the lions fault..its always the humans fault…
  —
  
  yeah, if your dumb enough to cage a lion then get into the cage with it…i’d agree
  
  Report this comment
Galt45
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 9:49am
Sad story, I feel sorry for her family. I’ve seen a lot of these types; where I used to work a woman tried to pet a wolf. The wolf was shot and the woman was lucky to keep her arm. People these days only seem to know nature through a TV screen, they don’t appreciate its realities.

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- Bluebonnet
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 10:20am
  ‘Scuse me! Trying to determine what provoked the tiger? I feel very sorry for that poor woman, but really, common sense and surely the animal park rules did not approve of going into the cage with them! She is the cause for having to kill that animal. Who could be proud of that?
  
  What really angers me when I hear things like this, is they kill the animal for being a wild animal, when in reality it’s an ignorant person who thinks they can tame a wild animal or any animal by doing the unexpected.
  Remember the stupid news woman who put her face into a dog and he bit her lips. Yeah, I felt so bad for her, but angry that she would do this to a strange dog. Don’t we teach our children to not pet strange dogs until they know it’s acceptable with the animal? DUH?
  
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Libertyluvnmomma
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 9:41am
Is sounds like the intern was unsupervised and now they have to figure out what provoked the animals.
OOps.
Are her parents going to sue?
I would.

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- COFemale
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 10:46am
  Her father is a lawyer, but I guess you did not read the story or comprehend what you read. Parents have no suit, she entered the cage area alone and against the rules. They have no standing. Besides her father said she died doing what she loved. Too bad he didn’t teach her not to be stupid in that love.
  
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- Bluebonnet
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 11:42am
  I’m sorry for this girl and I’m sick for the family, and I understand the love for these animals and wanting to prove you’re not a threat to them and want to hold and love them………..yeah, I get these feelings all the time with cats, dogs, horses and even wild animals because I love all God’s creatures and have immense feelings for them……….saying that, I know you keep your distance until you’re sure the animal accepts you (tame animals) and totally keep your distance from wild animals….they are WILD and have instincts to protect themselves. He did what was natural for a wild animal.
  
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Verceofreason
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 9:24am
Maybe her Eau de Liver cologne was a bad idea?

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- DZ-015
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 5:38pm
  Not funny, Troll
  
  Report this comment
huntinwabbits
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 9:19am
Next story: Authorities are trying to figure out how Billy got burned while playing with fire.

Come on. She is working with an animal known for it’s predatory skills. It’s bound to happen sometime. I guess even tigers (or lions depending on where you read in the story) don’t like Californians. In all seriousness, if you are going to work with dangerous animals, sometimes the reason why they are considered dangerous animals becomes very obvious.

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Frederick_Douglass_Republican
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 9:15am
Her entire generation is unknowingly flirting with the deadly beast of tyranny and they don’t even know it. Its being portrayed as warm and cuddly by the always misleading hollywood media machine. When at a certain moment they find themselves about to be savaged it will be too late. Quite so, in fact.

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Frederick_Douglass_Republican
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 9:03am
She was absolutely fearless? Going inside an enclosed area alone with wild beasts, and a lion no less. Not sure where she got her “information” on how to interact with these beasts. Probably as a child watched Disney where deadly wild beasts are gentle warm cuddly friends who make prophetic statements about life o.O Even as a kid I thought those Disney movies were garbage. In one episode the lion king should be in a foul mood and maul all his little human friends and then lounge in the shade as the vultures pick at the carcasses. I for one appreciate reality. It is beautiful and it is vicious.
Its like the guy on the video I saw yesterday where he hangs and wrestle-plays with big cats. It will be an anomaly if he never has a day when one of those cats is not in such a playful mood and he will be killed or severely injured. One swipe from a paw and your guts are on the ground.

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- Libertyluvnmomma
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 9:43am
  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
  
  Fearless=bad
  
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searcher619
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 9:01am
The person who creates these titles REALLY needs to actually READ the articles before they make up a title. This girl was killed by a Lion NOT a Tiger.

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- COFemale
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 10:52am
  Why not email the writer and point out the error rather than post a comment for all to see. Have some dignity and professionalism. This is what I do. It is real simple, you just have to look for the email link.
  
  Report this comment
- searcher619
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 1:38pm
  COFemale:
  
  If i saw the link I would have but that’s NOT the issue. Did you read my comment? Often teh writer is not the person who comes up with the title.
  
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Leslie Anne
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 8:53am
She just wanted to give cute-n-furry lil’ Couscous a hug-n-kisses. I’ll admit, that lion was adorable, but still…no way I’d just go walking into his cage.

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SpankDaMonkey
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 8:30am
.
Her famous last words: Here Kitty, Kitty Oh you are so cute…….

It’s a Freak’in Lion, And the Darwin Award goes to…..

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- Trigus
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 8:50am
  Glenn, i will toss you a bone. Please gather the Blaze Staff (as Contestants) and hold a special game show, over the next weeks, called “Are You Smarter then A Lima Bean”
  
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PhineasJWhoopee
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 7:56am
I know what provoked the lion to attack. IT’S A LION !!

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- Comcast3
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 8:19am
  No kidding. What a way to go.
  
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- Trigus
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 8:22am
  Houston, we have a problem. Glenn, it seems the blaze reporter here cannot tell the difference between a lion and a tiger.
  
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- Frederick_Douglass_Republican
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 9:10am
  Lion – Tiger ? The lion has the big mane and the tiger is short haired? I only think that since when I see lion king posters its the deadly blood thirsty beast with the big mane around its carnivorous head. I’m not even 100% sure although the editors/staff here on TheBlaze at times (often times) seem to be products of outcome based education.
  
  Report this comment
woodyee
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 7:38am
Where’s PETA on this?

The most ill-led State in our Nation (CA – next to NY and IL) has murdered an captive animal that was only doing what it does best, and that’s kill and eat.

Chalk the intern up as another candidate for March’s Darwin Award.

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OldSurfRat
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 7:27am
Sad really sad.
She lost her life doing what she loved and if I were her parents thats what I would have to keep telling myself.
I hope and pray that I never loose one of my children but if I do I can only hope it would be while they are doing what they love.

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- Gonzo
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 7:32am
  Come on rat, I seriously doubt she loved being mauled to death by a lion.
  
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- redfish52
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 7:43am
  I lay the blame squarely on the guy who runs the zoo. He and he alone should have had the key to the lock for the cage and another key in a secure lock box. Obviously he didn’t stress enough that
  “you never go into the animal cages unless following proper safety protoco”l. Period! If you break this rule and manage to survive you will be fired immediately…..period! Sadly this young not very bright girl paid the ultimate price.
  
  Report this comment
- OldSurfRat
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 8:18am
  GONZO
  
  Dont think you uderstood my point. Of course she did not want to die the way she did but better than at the hands of a criminal.
  I dont want to die surfing but better than in a house fire.
  
  Report this comment
- Gonzo
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 8:54am
  I know Surf. It’s just when people “he/she died doing what they loved.” I always look at the actual cause of death and have my doubts. In her case, she loved caring for big cats, but I doubt she loved being dinner for one. You may love to surf, but I doubt you would love being eaten by a shark.
  
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- searcher619
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 9:06am
  No, she died doing something stupid. She was only there a few weeks. How the hell did she think that was enough time for her to be qualified to enter that enclosure alone… For all we know this was her way of committing suicide.
  
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- tnman65
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 1:09pm
  I am fascinated with big cats also. From the other side of the fence. I trust no wild animal.
  
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Gonzo
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 7:23am
24-Year-Old Intern Mauled by Tiger at Calif. Animal Park: It Was Her ‘Dream Job’
Tiger or lion?

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- marssnw
  Posted on March 7, 2013 at 8:19am
  Yeah they really are not the same thing Maybe it is both. Could be a the famous Liger that Napolean Dynamite talked about.
  
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