New Zealand Woman Mauled By Tiger

[sriracha john]

Ruth Corlett with Pancake the tiger just before the attack.

New Zealand Herald

NZ aid worker mauled in Thai tiger enclosure

A New Zealand woman is in hospital after being mauled by a tiger in Thailand. Ruth Corlett, 45, was at an enclosure on Sunday with her family when the female tiger jumped at her and bit her leg.

Mrs Corlett was rushed to hospital, where she received 54 stitches on the wound.

Thai media reported that Mrs Corlett touched the year-old tiger's head before it jumped at her in the Khumsu Chiang Mai Tiger Centre.

Mrs Corlett travelled to Thailand with her husband and three children in 2007 to work with an organisation that runs orphanages, emergency relief, and development programmes on the Thai border.

Her husband, Stuart Corlett, said last night that his wife was still in hospital and was doing "okay".

"It was just at one of those tiger places where people are allowed to play with the tigers," he said. "She was near one of them and the thing just jumped up and bit her in the leg. But she's okay now."

The owners of the tiger enclosure have offered to pay for all of Mrs Corlett's medical expenses.

A staff member at the enclosure said the tiger that attacked Mrs Corlett - named Pancake - was usually very friendly and had been trained to stay with humans.

"Pancake has never bitten anyone before, despite being played with by tourists very often," the staff member said.

"The [New Zealand] woman touched the tiger on its head and suddenly the sleeve of her arm, or the cloth of her shirt, got into the eye of the tiger and the tiger got irritated."

Local Thai media reported that Mr Corlett is looking to sue the Chiang Mai tiger enclosure, but the Herald could not confirm this last night.

Staff at the centre have said that the case has not been filed with police.

- New Zealand Herald / 2009-01-27

[ShugNorris]

She played with a tiger, got bitten and now wants to sue?

Sorry to hear she got bitten but she did decide to cuddle a Tiger, a predator. Awww, cute

[dinthailand]

She played with a tiger, got bitten and now wants to sue?

Sorry to hear she got bitten but she did decide to cuddle a Tiger, a predator. Awww, cute

all visitors to Tiger Kingdom sign a waiver before visiting the ewo enclodures where the cubs and tigers are. there is therefore no option to sue under thai law. the court officials would not be able to list it for hearing before a judge. this is why the owners said that no police report had been filed. the police would check the waiver form and close the case.

glad she was not badly hurt and is doing well

[Crossy]

The tiger place in Kanchanaburi specifically say not to wear red, maybe tigers associate it with lunch.

http://www.tigertemplethailand.com/

Warnings Don’t wear red color clothes no loud noises or sudden movements or running.

Ladies and girls please wear shorts or trousers No skirts or dresses in Tiger Temple

Hope the kitty is not punished.

Edited January 27, 2009 by Crossy

[bonobo]

Playing with tigers is inherently dangerous, and even professionals get mauled (eg, Sigfried and Roy).

Having said that, I too have done the tiger park shtick, and I enjoyed every minute of it. But if I had gotten bit, well, that would have been the risk I took.

[Scott]

" No shorts, no trousers, no skirts, no dresses"....hmmm....what do the ladies wear into the encloser. Apparently something you can purchase at Patpong!

I have never understood why people would want to handle an adult tiger. If you have a cat, you know how these things can grab a hold of you in playful manner--now multiply that times 1,000 and you have a huge problem on your hand.

I hope she makes a full recovery.

[toybits]

Animals like tigers should be left alone and not harrassed by tourists such as Ruth. Operators of facilities such as this should be prosecuted and the practice banned. Unfortunately, there is too much money involved and a lot of influential people, and even monks use wild animals to raise money.

This practice is no different from taking tourists to Long-Neck Karen villages. Sad! Really Sad!

[dinthailand]

Animals like tigers should be left alone and not harrassed by tourists such as Ruth. Operators of facilities such as this should be prosecuted and the practice banned. Unfortunately, there is too much money involved and a lot of influential people, and even monks use wild animals to raise money.

This practice is no different from taking tourists to Long-Neck Karen villages. Sad! Really Sad!

yes. it's the thai attitude to money

there were tourists in there yesterday, but no problem they all signed their waiver forms. no risk to the management

p.s' this tiger kingdom is the one in maerim

[RakJungTorlae]

Animals like tigers should be left alone and not harrassed by tourists such as Ruth. Operators of facilities such as this should be prosecuted and the practice banned. Unfortunately, there is too much money involved and a lot of influential people, and even monks use wild animals to raise money.

This practice is no different from taking tourists to Long-Neck Karen villages. Sad! Really Sad!

Good idea, lets go there and protest to let them out of the cage and roam free, hopefully they will get some wild senses back and can fend for them self's. id start driving your kids to school with a cage and build a big wall around Bangkok.

You can see in the big cats left eye that its slightly annoyed she got RED and those glasses!! and probably some whiny voice (oh nice kitty!!) .. that cats going to lose it.

Edited January 27, 2009 by RakJungTorlae

[jayjayjayjay]

***completely irrelevant and unnecessary insult removed--sbk***

Hope Ruth's doing well and hope the claims stuff is rubbish. It's a lovely park and had the chance to pat these Tigers myself, would hate to see that taken away.

Edited January 27, 2009 by sbk

[t.s]

" No shorts, no trousers, no skirts, no dresses"....hmmm....what do the ladies wear into the encloser. Apparently something you can purchase at Patpong!

I have never understood why people would want to handle an adult tiger. If you have a cat, you know how these things can grab a hold of you in playful manner--now multiply that times 1,000 and you have a huge problem on your hand.

I hope she makes a full recovery.

go back and look at the quote again why dont you?

[t.s]

Ruth Corlett with Pancake the tiger just before the attack.

New Zealand Herald

NZ aid worker mauled in Thai tiger enclosure

Her husband, Stuart Corlett, said last night that his wife was still in hospital and was doing "okay".

"It was just at one of those tiger places where people are allowed to play with the tigers," he said. "She was near one of them and the thing just jumped up and bit her in the leg. But she's okay now."

- New Zealand Herald / 2009-01-27

how stupid a remark is this? I am sorry but when i read that i laughed out loud. could he be more blithe?

as for the picture, i dont put my face that close to strange dogs or even house cats and i have no fear of animals beyond a very healthy respect

I wish her a successful and quick recovery, but good lord, a tiger is a tiger even if it has been humiliated by the name Pancake

Edited January 27, 2009 by t.s

[geriatrickid]

Animals like tigers should be left alone and not harrassed by tourists such as Ruth. Operators of facilities such as this should be prosecuted and the practice banned. Unfortunately, there is too much money involved and a lot of influential people, and even monks use wild animals to raise money.

This practice is no different from taking tourists to Long-Neck Karen villages. Sad! Really Sad!

2nd that.

Well said too.

[jayjayjayjay]

Hope Ruth's doing well and hope the claims stuff is rubbish. It's a lovely park and had the chance to pat these Tigers myself, would hate to see that taken away.

toybits and Ger..akid, sorry but all a bit self righeous arn't we! What's to say Ruth fully understood the danger and would happily do it again as she felt better for the experience of being close to one of natures beasts. Your comment is simply narrow minded and boiler plate ra ra ra influential/corruption ra ra ar ar arra ra. Have you been to this park? Be a little more creative next time!

Edited January 27, 2009 by sbk

[JetsetBkk]

Why is everyone being so sympathetic to this woman? I have none whatsoever. I hope the tiger recovers from its ordeal.

[Nienke]

Is it just me? As to me this tiger already looks pretty irritated and the lady doesn't have a clue.

The tiger looks the lady in the face, what does that mean in the tiger 'language'? I know in the dog language it means 'back off'. In other words, with dogs in their language it can be a clear warning.

Then the lady has one arm over the tiger. How do tigers receive this? Again with dogs I know that many don't appreciate it when strangers do that to them. And when warning doesn't work a bite can follow.

Touching the head and whithers of dominant dogs is a no-no. How is this with tigers?

[dinthailand]

She looks like a dam tiger (Lion actually) in the picture, pancake probably thought she was a male tiger ready do something she didn't plan on yet!!!!!

Hope Ruth's doing well and hope the claims stuff is rubbish. It's a lovely park and had the chance to pat these Tigers myself, would hate to see that taken away.

she is subject to thai not new zealand law. she expressly forgoes any right to sue. check the criminal an civil code if you think its rubbish.

the law in thailand is what the thai justice system proscribes not what you want it to be through western eyes

[dinthailand]

Is it just me? As to me this tiger already looks pretty irritated and the lady doesn't have a clue.

The tiger looks the lady in the face, what does that mean in the tiger 'language'? I know in the dog language it means 'back off'. In other words, with dogs in their language it can be a clear warning.

Then the lady has one arm over the tiger. How do tigers receive this? Again with dogs I know that many don't appreciate it when strangers do that to them. And when warning doesn't work a bite can follow.

Touching the head and whithers of dominant dogs is a no-no. How is this with tigers?

absolutly right, nienke. your questions are i think rhetorical but to answer them.m tigers have it in spades

[brahmburgers]

awhile ago, a woman jogger was jumped, mauled and killed by a wild cougar along a California pathway. She was menstruating at the time.

could that have been a factor? just a thought.

either way, sorry to hear about the serious injury.

[Visionhaze]

One of the things they made clear to me when I went was "Do not touch the tigers head". A friend of mine was there that day, he was in the restaurant eating and heard a big commotion in the tigers cage. Looked over and saw the husband carrying his wife out. No idea it was that bad though.

[TAWP]

I'm careful about touching animals I do not know in ways that might instill an aggressive reaction, as staring a dog in the eyes from above while leaning over it. It can end badly if one isn't ready for it or at least are able to handle the size of the animal. Would never stick my face towards a tiger like that. Is he wishing to be slapped? Jeez, I'm currently trying to teach my son the same thing towards our cats...guess she, like him, just can't help herself...

[Nienke]

Is it just me? As to me this tiger already looks pretty irritated and the lady doesn't have a clue.

The tiger looks the lady in the face, what does that mean in the tiger 'language'? I know in the dog language it means 'back off'. In other words, with dogs in their language it can be a clear warning.

Then the lady has one arm over the tiger. How do tigers receive this? Again with dogs I know that many don't appreciate it when strangers do that to them. And when warning doesn't work a bite can follow.

Touching the head and whithers of dominant dogs is a no-no. How is this with tigers?

absolutly right, nienke. your questions are i think rhetorical but to answer them.m tigers have it in spades

Partly rhetorical, partly I really am interested in the ways animals speak. Time to read/study the few books I have on cat language/behavior.

[Ricardo]

Her husband, Stuart Corlett, said last night that his wife was still in hospital and was doing "okay".

"It was just at one of those tiger places where people are allowed to play with the tigers," he said. "She was near one of them and the thing just jumped up and bit her in the leg. But she's okay now."

The owners of the tiger enclosure have offered to pay for all of Mrs Corlett's medical expenses.

A staff member at the enclosure said the tiger that attacked Mrs Corlett - named Pancake - was usually very friendly and had been trained to stay with humans.

I'd say that, in offering to pay full medical-expenses, the owners are acting in a very correct way. Glad that the lady is recovering well in hospital.

[Splatter]

Interesting article on the tigers over at Kanchanaburi from the National Geographic

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...ger-temple.html

last paragraph...

"<b>Once in a Lifetime</b>

Back at the temple, a monk named Kruba Som sits in the shade near the tiger cages, casually positioning a young tiger's paw on tourists' heads as they line up for photos.

"People want once in their life to come here," he said through a translator.

Over the din of delighted laughter, he said he wants tourists to "be happy with tigers like the [monks] are happy with them."

But Wiek and other conservationists worry that Buddhism's power can trick unsuspecting tourists into thinking they are saving tigers.

"The making of pictures for 30 dollars with the tigers is a lucrative circus act," Wiek said, "nothing more or less."

[aeon]

basic rules of good manners in thailand say do not touch anyone's head

[bertlamar]

Ruth Corlett with Pancake the tiger just before the attack.

New Zealand Herald

NZ aid worker mauled in Thai tiger enclosure

Her husband, Stuart Corlett, said last night that his wife was still in hospital and was doing "okay".

"It was just at one of those tiger places where people are allowed to play with the tigers," he said. "She was near one of them and the thing just jumped up and bit her in the leg. But she's okay now."

- New Zealand Herald / 2009-01-27

how stupid a remark is this? I am sorry but when i read that i laughed out loud. could he be more blithe?

as for the picture, i dont put my face that close to strange dogs or even house cats and i have no fear of animals beyond a very healthy respect

I wish her a successful and quick recovery, but good lord, a tiger is a tiger even if it has been humiliated by the name Pancake

To be fair he is a Kiwi so that invites that sort of comment....e.g. a typical Kiwi comment after the Tsunami (heard it myself from a mate who was caught in the Phi Phi area) - 'well we were getting up and then a bit of a wave comes through, and we hung onto some trees for a while, and I got stabbed a few times with bamboo and s&*t floating in the water; it was a bit rough mate!'

(said by a guy sporting 50+ stitches in his leg, had lost a couple of his friends, had bamboo go right through his leg).

I think a few episodes of flight of the concordes would sort you out.

Cats don't usually like to be poked in the eye, nor physically given the feeling of being restrained by people they don't know, and they sense fear or lack of confidence.

Additionally, it is a well known fact that I made up, that some tigers don't like women with blonde hair and glasses.

Nothing wrong with Pancake, that was probably just a bit of a warning nip; however a warning nip from a tiger, shark or hippo is about the same as a full on frontal assault from a typical domesticated cat innit.

[WaiWai]

Ruth Corlett with Pancake the tiger just before the attack.

New Zealand Herald

NZ aid worker mauled in Thai tiger enclosure

Her husband, Stuart Corlett, said last night that his wife was still in hospital and was doing "okay".

"It was just at one of those tiger places where people are allowed to play with the tigers," he said. "She was near one of them and the thing just jumped up and bit her in the leg. But she's okay now."

- New Zealand Herald / 2009-01-27

how stupid a remark is this? I am sorry but when i read that i laughed out loud. could he be more blithe?

Indeed. Just surpasses all understanding .

The tigers must really wonder about the average human intelligence level.

In my view, such places simply should not be allowed to operate in these ways. People should not support them by visiting. Even the much-vaunted "Elephant Nature Park" in Chiang Mai is now overrun by stray dogs and the elephants don't seem to enjoy a very "natural" lifestyle at all. (Yes, I know Lek does wonderful rescue work).

SE Asia in general needs to look at better models for wildlife reserves.

Edited January 27, 2009 by WaiWai

[Samuian]

Sorry for the Ladies injuries, may she get better soon!

But there is a strong lesson there somewhere.

I wonder what will have to happen, before they stop these insane practices, here on Samui same, same...

[dinthailand]

Hope Ruth's doing well and hope the claims stuff is rubbish. It's a lovely park and had the chance to pat these Tigers myself, would hate to see that taken away.

toybits and Ger..akid, sorry but all a bit self righeous arn't we! What's to say Ruth fully understood the danger and would happily do it again as she felt better for the experience of being close to one of natures beasts. Your comment is simply narrow minded and boiler plate ra ra ra influential/corruption ra ra ar ar arra ra. Have you been to this park? Be a little more creative next time!

toybits and geriatrickid are right. i don't always understand the english in your post. boiler plate, corruption, more creative. !!!!!

[dinthailand]

Why is everyone being so sympathetic to this woman? I have none whatsoever. I hope the tiger recovers from its ordeal.

having mauled once, i assume it will now be caged away from the public. in the west it would have to be put down (which i am not advocating by the way)