Family: Death of Brier woman in lion cage was accident
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - Family members of a 24-year-old intern killed by a lion at a California animal park said Friday they believe the facility followed safety protocols and the death was a tragic accident.
Investigators believe the 5-year-old male lion lifted the door of a partially closed feeding cage with its paw and killed Dianna Hanson of Brier, Wash., as she cleaned a bigger enclosure area, Fresno County coroner David Hadden has said.
Family members said they're relieved the young woman was killed instantly when the lion swiped or lunged at her.
"We're thankful to know she didn't suffer," Hanson's brother, Paul R. Hanson, told The Associated Press.
Dianna Hanson died immediately from a broken neck, according to a Fresno County coroner's autopsy report.
Other injuries were sustained after her death, the report states.
Family members say they don't believe it was a mauling, but rather a lion's rough play that turned tragic.
"It sounds like it was an accident, maybe the latch had not been completely closed ... You know, house cats are smart, they can open doors," Paul Hanson said. "It wasn't a vicious attack ... because you would expect severe lacerations and biting on the neck and that was not the case."
Paul Hanson and his wife Tiffany Windle-Hanson, who was the victim's college roommate, don't believe any rules were broken at Cat Haven, the animal park run by the nonprofit group Project Survival.
"It was just a tragic accident," Windle-Hanson said.
Investigators were focusing on the cage door that the 550-pound animal managed to escape through to reach the volunteer intern.
"The lion had been fed, the young woman was cleaning the large enclosure, and the lion was in the small cage," Hadden said. "The gate of the cage was partially open, which allowed the lion called Cous Cous to lift it up with his paw."
Hadden said the lion then ran at Hanson.
Hanson was talking with a co-worker on a cellphone in the moments before she was killed, the coroner said. The co-worker became concerned when the conversation ended abruptly and Hanson failed to call back. The co-worker then called authorities when she went to check on Hanson.
Family members say Hanson was actually using a walkie-talkie, which they understood to be the policy at the animal park.
"She wasn't distracted, she wasn't like that," Windle-Hanson said. "It's a safety protocol to have walkie-talkies there, which is important in case a situation like this occurs."
Sheriff's deputies shot Cous Cous after the animal couldn't be coaxed away from Hanson's body.
Hanson had been working for two months as an intern at Cat Haven, a 100-acre private zoo east of Fresno.
Her father, Paul Hanson, described his daughter as a "fearless" lover of big cats and said her goal was to work with the animals at an accredited zoo. She died doing what she loves, he said.
Hanson's Facebook page is plastered with photos of her petting tigers and other big cats. She told her father she was frustrated that Cat Haven did not allow direct contact with animals.
"She was disappointed because she said they wouldn't let her into the cages with the lion and tiger there," said Paul Hanson, a Seattle-area attorney.
Dale Anderson, the owner of the zoo, said safety protocols were in place but he would not discuss them because they are a part of the law enforcement investigation.
Anderson said he's the only person allowed in the enclosure when lions are present.
"We want to assure the community that we have followed all safety protocols," Anderson said. "We have been incident-free since 1998 when we opened."
He said the facility will reopen to the public on Sunday.
When the attack occurred, Anderson said he and two other Cat Haven workers had left to take a cheetah to exhibit at a school. Hanson and another worker remained at the facility.
Whether Hanson was performing a function that placed her in danger is being investigated by Cal-OSHA, which also is trying to determine if employees were properly instructed about potential danger, as required.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which enforces the federal Animal Welfare Act, is also looking to understand why the lion turned on the intern.
USDA inspectors conduct multiple unannounced inspections of Cat Haven every year and never had found a violation, Sacks said. Federal regulations pertain only to animal treatment.
Cat Haven breeds and keeps lions, tigers, jaguars, lynx and other exotic cats and takes them out for public appearances. There were nearly 30 cats at the park during the accident, including two lions.
Investigators believe the 5-year-old male lion lifted the door of a partially closed feeding cage with its paw and killed Dianna Hanson of Brier, Wash., as she cleaned a bigger enclosure area, Fresno County coroner David Hadden has said.
Family members said they're relieved the young woman was killed instantly when the lion swiped or lunged at her.
"We're thankful to know she didn't suffer," Hanson's brother, Paul R. Hanson, told The Associated Press.
Dianna Hanson died immediately from a broken neck, according to a Fresno County coroner's autopsy report.
Other injuries were sustained after her death, the report states.
Family members say they don't believe it was a mauling, but rather a lion's rough play that turned tragic.
"It sounds like it was an accident, maybe the latch had not been completely closed ... You know, house cats are smart, they can open doors," Paul Hanson said. "It wasn't a vicious attack ... because you would expect severe lacerations and biting on the neck and that was not the case."
Paul Hanson and his wife Tiffany Windle-Hanson, who was the victim's college roommate, don't believe any rules were broken at Cat Haven, the animal park run by the nonprofit group Project Survival.
"It was just a tragic accident," Windle-Hanson said.
Investigators were focusing on the cage door that the 550-pound animal managed to escape through to reach the volunteer intern.
"The lion had been fed, the young woman was cleaning the large enclosure, and the lion was in the small cage," Hadden said. "The gate of the cage was partially open, which allowed the lion called Cous Cous to lift it up with his paw."
Hadden said the lion then ran at Hanson.
Hanson was talking with a co-worker on a cellphone in the moments before she was killed, the coroner said. The co-worker became concerned when the conversation ended abruptly and Hanson failed to call back. The co-worker then called authorities when she went to check on Hanson.
Family members say Hanson was actually using a walkie-talkie, which they understood to be the policy at the animal park.
"She wasn't distracted, she wasn't like that," Windle-Hanson said. "It's a safety protocol to have walkie-talkies there, which is important in case a situation like this occurs."
Sheriff's deputies shot Cous Cous after the animal couldn't be coaxed away from Hanson's body.
Hanson had been working for two months as an intern at Cat Haven, a 100-acre private zoo east of Fresno.
Her father, Paul Hanson, described his daughter as a "fearless" lover of big cats and said her goal was to work with the animals at an accredited zoo. She died doing what she loves, he said.
Hanson's Facebook page is plastered with photos of her petting tigers and other big cats. She told her father she was frustrated that Cat Haven did not allow direct contact with animals.
"She was disappointed because she said they wouldn't let her into the cages with the lion and tiger there," said Paul Hanson, a Seattle-area attorney.
Dale Anderson, the owner of the zoo, said safety protocols were in place but he would not discuss them because they are a part of the law enforcement investigation.
Anderson said he's the only person allowed in the enclosure when lions are present.
"We want to assure the community that we have followed all safety protocols," Anderson said. "We have been incident-free since 1998 when we opened."
He said the facility will reopen to the public on Sunday.
When the attack occurred, Anderson said he and two other Cat Haven workers had left to take a cheetah to exhibit at a school. Hanson and another worker remained at the facility.
Whether Hanson was performing a function that placed her in danger is being investigated by Cal-OSHA, which also is trying to determine if employees were properly instructed about potential danger, as required.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which enforces the federal Animal Welfare Act, is also looking to understand why the lion turned on the intern.
USDA inspectors conduct multiple unannounced inspections of Cat Haven every year and never had found a violation, Sacks said. Federal regulations pertain only to animal treatment.
Cat Haven breeds and keeps lions, tigers, jaguars, lynx and other exotic cats and takes them out for public appearances. There were nearly 30 cats at the park during the accident, including two lions.
I hate how all of these stories end in the animal being killed. couldn't have tranquilized the big fella? I imagine there had to be tranqs on the grounds somewhere.
Learn the truth about the fatal liger attack that killed Safari's Sanctuary intern Peter Getz in October 2008, in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. The sanctuary's owner lied to the public, to the media, and to the USDA. Both before the attack and after the death, the park staff continued to feed many of the large felines by entering their cages while the animals were inside nearby and not separated from the staff. Read a former staff's affidavit to the USDA from March 2011 and her observations from that day and what happened afterward, and view photos taken at the park that prove owner Lori Ensign-Scroggins and her staff did not learn the right lessons from the tragedy of Peter Getz's death--see link below.
Safari's Truth Destination on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.430088733735485.1073741827.375092402568452&type=1
Have watched a couple videos now of the owner of this place and how he treats the animals. H'es an idiot. It was only a matter of time before one of the big cats attacked after the way they were treated. Wish they would just quit allowing this kind of nonsense. These animals don't belong in cages and zoos shouldn't even exist except for breeding endangered species.
I can't read much in this article that makes any sense.
I'm just glad that there is exhaustive media coverage about the cause of this accident so that we can all learn how to protect ourselves from lions, in the 1 billion to 1 chance that we encounter one.
@Sparky2112Â Also if you are female and having a monthly stay away ,far away .
Some people follow their passion. Â There are risks in everything. Â Â Watch this man interact with lions. Â truly amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtYOx0_4jZg&feature=endscreen
it was an accident? as opposed to the lion mauling people deaths that are not accidents?
Wow, talk about denial...rough play? Reminds me of Seigfried and Roy where they claimed the tiger was just trying to drag Roy Horn to safety...while almost bleeding him to death and leaving him brain damaged. Heres some words of advice...dont go into a lions cage.. And to have shot the lion for being a lion is really more of a tragedy
This is a tragedy all the way around, but yes, we take wild animals out of their  natural domain, put them in cages and then punish them for doing what comes naturally to them.
Big cats have big teeth, so don't put yourself in a cage with one.Â
"Hanson was talking with a co-worker on a cellphone in the moments before she was killed, the coroner said. The co-worker became concerned when the conversation ended abruptly and Hanson failed to call back. The co-worker then called authorities when she went to check on Hanson.
Family members say Hanson was actually using a walkie-talkie, which they understood to be the policy at the animal park.
"She wasn't distracted, she wasn't like that," Windle-Hanson said. "It's a safety protocol to have walkie-talkies"
So a walkie-talkie is policy, but having someone else there to double check that the lion cant get at you isnt?!
I feel for this family but c'mon, what the heck is going on here!
I there, which is important in case a situation like this occurs