An unfortunate tragedy took place in a wildlife park in eastern Austria on Monday when a rhinoceros ran amok and attacked two zookeepers. One of the zookeepers, a woman in her 50s, passed away as a result of her injuries while the second one, a man in his 40s suffered serious wounds.
The rhinoceros, whose name is Hans, has been living at the Ernstbrunn wildlife park for the past 15 years and, until the incident, there had been no aggressive behaviors displayed. It is unclear as to what may have caused the tragic event to occur.
The woman that died from the attack is believed to have been the lead zookeeper in charge of looking after the rhino and was very experienced in the care and handling of the animal. She has been described as an extremely passionate zookeeper who dedicated her career to caring for and protecting wildlife in the park.
The male zookeeper sustained serious injuries from the attack and after being transported to a nearby hospital, he is in critical but stable condition. The park has stated that it will remain closed until a thorough investigation of the incident can be conducted.
Hans the rhino has been temporarily quarantined in the park until further assessment. Such incidents involving zoo animals are rare, but the Ernstbrunn wildlife park is in the process of conducting an investigation to try and determine the cause of the attack and if any preventative measures can be taken in order to ensure the safety of general zoo visitors and staff in the future.
The incident has shaken the local zoo employees and the greater animal conservation community across Austria. The Ernstbrunn wildlife park has released a final statement saying, “This is a difficult day for the entire animal conservation movement, and our deepest thoughts go out to the families of those affected.”
