Lions Attack Zoo Keeper
By Margaret Lyons in Miscellaneous on Sep 9, 2004 7:55PM
Oh my gentle Jesus, this is more zoo coverage than we ever thought possible. Nancy DeFiesta, a lion trainer/keeper at the Lincoln Park Zoo, was mauled this afternoon by three of the lions in her care. DeFiesta, 60, has worked at the zoo for 14 years. Between this and the hurricanes, we're getting freakedweird weather plus animals turning on their keepers is right out of Macbeth. Yeah, that's right, we're throwing down some sophomore-year English on your ass: when things start happening against the natural order, we're all in trouble. It's a theme of inversion. You can look it up.
The details of the attack are still unclear, but DeFiesta wound up wounded in the moat around the lion area. She was able to call for help on her radio and climb a ladder out of the moat. She was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center for treatment for injuries on her face, neck, and arms, and was conscious and alert in the trauma center.
The zoo was evacuated for 15 minutes, but has since re-opened to the public. Zoo officials still don't know how the lions even came in contact with DeFiesta, but they're investigating the barriers that usually keep the zoo staff safe. If you're keeping track of zoo stories at home, we're at three in the last week: gorilla birth, camel acupuncture, and now lion attack.