Tiger attack at a Japanese safari park: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Big cat bites are highly lethal due to the enormous bite force of these animals. This article reviews the morphology of these types of injuries and key points of management through a survival case at a Japanese safari park. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 26-year-old female keeper who was attacked by a tiger. She was quickly transported to our university hospital by ambulance helicopter. The keeper was severely bitten on the head and face and had wounds all over her body. Craniofacial repair was performed by emergency surgery. She suffered mild facial nerve paralysis and trismus because of being bitten by the tiger and is currently recovering. CONCLUSIONS: A multidisciplinary approach of the severe tiger bites successfully treated a young woman cosmetically and mentally. Animal farms and zoos that keep tigers should take strict measures to avoid direct confrontation with tigers.

Heterologous in vitro fertilization and embryo production for assessment of jaguar (Panthera onca Linnaeus, 1758) frozen-thawed semen in different extenders.

Heterologous in vitro fertilization (IVF) is an important tool for assessing fertility of endangered mammals such as the jaguar, considering difficult access to females for artificial insemination and to obtain homologous oocytes. We aimed to evaluate the fertility of jaguar sperm cryopreserved with different extenders, using domestic cat oocytes to assess the development of hybrid embryos. Semen from four captive jaguars was obtained by electroejaculation. Samples were cryopreserved in powdered coconut water (ACP-117c) or Tris extender containing 20% egg yolk and 6% glycerol. Thawed spermatozoa were resuspended (2.0 × 106 spermatozoa/mL) in IVF medium and co-incubated with cat oocytes matured in vitro for 18 h. Presumptive zygotes were cultured for 7 days. After 48 h, cleavage rate was evaluated, and non-cleaved structures were stained for IVF evaluation. On days 5 and 7, the rate of morula and blastocyst formation was assessed. Data were analyzed using the Fisher exact test (p < 0.05). No difference was observed between ACP-117c and Tris extenders, respectively, for oocytes with 2nd polar body (2/51, 3.9 ± 2.9% vs. 2/56, 3.6 ± 3.1%), pronuclear structures (5/51, 9.8 ± 4.7% vs. 8/56, 14.3 ± 8.0%), and total IVF rates (7/36, 19.4 ± 5.0% vs. 10/37, 27.0 ± 13.8%). All the samples fertilized the oocytes, with 22.9 ± 3.2% (16/70) and 16.7 ± 3.6% (12/72) cleavage of mature oocytes for ACP-117c and Tris extenders, respectively. Morula rates of 4.3 ± 2.3% (3/70) and 5.6 ± 2.2% (4/72) were observed for ACP-117c and Tris, respectively. Only the Tris extender demonstrated blastocyst production (2/12, 16.7 ± 1.5% blastocyst/cleavage). We demonstrated that jaguar ejaculates cryopreserved using ACP-117c and Tris were suitable for IVF techniques, with blastocyst production by ejaculates cryopreserved in Tris. This is a first report of embryos produced in vitro using jaguar sperm and domestic cat oocytes through IVF.

Furuncular Myiasis by Dermatobia hominis (Diptera: Oestridae) in Wild Jaguars in the Amazon Rainforest.

Two individuals of the jaguar, Panthera onca (L.), were captured near the municipality of Presidente Figueiredo, Brazilian Amazon, during the years of 2017 and 2018. The jaguars presented furuncular myiasis caused by the human botfly Dermatobia hominis (L.) on the rear thighs and tail. This is the first record of infestation of D. hominis in P. onca in the Amazon region.

Two fatal tiger attacks in zoos.

Two captive tiger attacks are presented that took place in Cologne and Münster zoos. Both attacks occurred when the handlers, intent on cleaning the enclosures, entered whilst the tigers accidently retained access to the location, and thus defended their territory against the perceived intruders. Both victims suffered fatal neck injuries from the bites. At Münster, colleagues managed to lure the tiger away from its victim to enable treatment, whilst the Cologne zoo tiger had to be shot in order to allow access to be gained. Whilst it was judged that human error led to the deaths of the experienced zookeepers, the investigation in Münster was closed as no third party was found to be at fault, whereas the Cologne zoo director was initially charged with being negligent. These charges were subsequently dismissed as safety regulations were found to be up to date.

Aspectos do uso territorial por onça parda (Puma concolor), através de monitoramento via satélite, na região do Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro, MG / Aspects of territorial use of the Cougar (Puma concolor), by satelite monitoring, in the Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro, MG

Objetivou-se com o presente estudo monitorar o comportamento do uso territorial de um macho de onça parda, capturado no Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro (PESB), por meio da telemetria, usando colar de GPS via Satélite Globalstar. O monitoramento de doze meses resultou na transmissão via satélite de 328 localizações, as quais sugerem que a área utilizada por esse felino seja de aproximadamente 610km2, sendo esta a maior área já descrita para a espécie. Foi possível observar que apenas 20% das localizações ocorreram dentro da área do PESB. O comportamento territorial observado neste trabalho mostra a vulnerabilidade do animal a ações antrópicas, como a caça, atropelamentos e o contato com patógenos entre animais silvestres e domésticos. Observou-se também que duas rodovias configuram barreiras artificiais para o deslocamento do animal, possivelmente impedindo o fluxo gênico entre o PESB e dois outros importantes parques. Com os dados levantados é possível a sugestão de ações de manejo, como a criação de uma conectividade efetiva entre o PESB, o Parque Estadual do Rio Doce e o Parque Nacional do Caparaó, o que poderia contribuir para o intercâmbio genético entre as populações e, dessa forma, favorecer a conservação não somente da onça parda.

We aimed to study the territorial behavior of a male cougar, captured in the Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro (PESB), using a GPS collar and the Globalstar Satellite. Monitoring the animal for nine months we obtained 328 locations. The data suggest that the area used by this feline is approximately 610km2, the largest area described for this specie. It was also possible to observe that only 20% of the locations of the animal occurred within the PESB area. The territorial behavior observed in this study shows the vulnerability of the animal to human activities such as hunting, road kill and contact with pathogens from domestic animals. It was also observed that two roads constitute artificial barriers for animal movement, possibly preventing gene flow between the PESB and two other parks. The creation of an effective connectivity between the PESB, the Parque Estadual do Rio Doce and the Parque Nacional do Caparaó is critical to ensure genetic exchange between the animal populations and thereby promote their conservation.

Unique fatality due to claw injuries in a tiger attack: a case report.

This paper describes a unique case of a fatal tiger attack in the wild. In the present case, a tiger fatally mauled a 34-year-old female with its claws, instead of the usual mechanism of killing by the bite injury to the neck. The autopsy revealed multiple fatal and non-fatal injuries caused by the tiger claws. The characteristic injuries due to the tooth impacts were absent as the teeth of the offending tiger were either fallen or non-functional. To the best of our knowledge, probably this rare case would be the first reported human fatality due to the tiger claw injuries in the world. The purpose of the present article is to highlight the fatal injuries due to the tiger claws, as the claw-induced fatal injuries in a tiger attack are not reported in the medico-legal literature. Moreover, this report would be an illustrative one for differentiation between the fatal injuries due to the claws and tooth impacts in a tiger attack. Furthermore, the present report establishes the importance of the tiger claws as a source of fatal injuries in a tiger attack.

Survival of child after lion attack.

BACKGROUND: Injuries to humans caused by attacks from large predators are very rare, especially in the United States, Europe, or Latin America. A few cases were reported on accidents in zoos or animal farms, being very uncommon in children. The purposes of this report include describing the case of a child who sustained an attack by a lion named "Bang-Bang", which resulted in injuries to the head, chest, and abdomen, as well as the subsequent neurosurgical treatment and providing a review of the literature. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report the case of an 8-year-old boy who was attacked by a lion during a circus show. The patient underwent an emergent neurosurgical procedure, including parietal craniectomy, cleaning, and extensive surgical debridement of the wounds. Despite open severe head trauma with brain damage as well as thorax and abdomen trauma, the child survived, with minimal neurological sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: Human injury resulting from encounters with nondomesticated animals is increasingly rising throughout the world. This case highlights the potentially violent and aggressive nature of wild mammals held in captivity. Unusual wild animal attacks and the complex injuries that result may pose a challenge to surgeons practicing in resource-limited settings. In this sense, the best treatment in the mentioned case is the prevention of human injuries by these animals. In addition, to attend to these infrequent cases, the authors emphasize the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to achieve the best cosmetic and functional results.

Monitoramento por radiotelemetria da área de uso de onça parda reintroduzida no entorno do Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro - MG, Brasil / Radiotelemetry monitoring of the home range of cougar reintroduced at the surroundings of the State Park of Serra do Brigadeiro - MG, Brazil

Um exemplar macho, subadulto de onça parda reintroduzido foi monitorado por técnica de radiotelemetria. O monitoramento foi de 110 dias, realizado de forma aleatória, com intervalos descontínuos. Os dados do acompanhamento sugerem que a área utilizada por este espécime seja de, aproximadamente, 26km². Esta configura o menor índice já descrito para a espécie, porém, deve-se ressaltar a importância deste monitoramento básico, visto a incipiência do comportamento de um felino de grande porte reintroduzido em habitat natural após período em cativeiro.

One subadult male specimen of a reintroduced mountain lion was monitored using the radio telemetry technique. The monitoring lasted 110 days, being randomly distributed. Data of the monitoring through radiotelemetry suggested that the home range of this specimen was of approximately 26km². This sets as the smallest home range described for this species. However, the importance of this basic monitoring should be emphasized, since information of the behavior of a large feline reintroduced in its natural habitat after a period in captivity is incipient.