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History repeats itself. If we let it
Tiger attacks Arizona animal sanctuary director, former Las Vegas illusionist
Article via ABCNews
Jonathan Kraft, the director and founder of Keepers of the Wild, was moving the 11-year-old tiger to a safer area during a heavy rainstorm and was attacked by the normally docile animal.
“Jonathan was concerned for the welfare of several large cats in his approximate area including the tiger and took unilateral action to allow them access to protection from the elements,” the sanctuary said in a statement on Wednesday. “During that process, a safety protocol had obviously failed resulting in the incident.”
Kraft was flown to a hospital in Las Vegas where he was treated for “multiple wounds and two broken bones.” The sanctuary said he will take several months to recover.
The tiger, Bowie, was taken into the sanctuary last year after previously being owned as a pet. The animal was declawed as a cub and had difficulty walking, the sanctuary said.
The sanctuary said in its statement that Kraft “made the decision to shift Bowie’s gates to allow him access to his den box area. During the process, the usually docile behaving Bowie exhibited unusual conduct by suddenly pushing the gates prior to Jonathan being able to secure the safety clips.”
Bowie bit down on Kraft, before other staffers freed him from the tiger’s jaws.
The tiger will not be euthanized, the sanctuary said.
Keepers of the Wild is a nonprofit that cares for 150 exotic animals, including tigers, lions, leopards, bears and wolves. The facility is open to visitors, but was being closed due to the storm, the sanctuary said.
The facility was established in 1995 in Las Vegas, but later relocated to rural Valentine, Arizona, about two hours southeast of Las Vegas.
Kraft previously worked as an entertainer on the Las Vegas Strip, appearing in shows with two tigers he trained starting as cubs. He initially started the sanctuary as a place for retired animals from stage shows and eventually decided to cut animals out of his shows entirely.
The sanctuary said it was conducting an internal investigation into the accident.
The attack was the second by a tiger in a matter of days in the U.S., after a zookeeper at the Topeka Zoo was mauled on Saturday. The keeper, identified as Kristyn Hayden-Ortega on Tuesday, was removed from the intensive care unit a day after the attack and is expected to make a full recovery from puncture wounds to her head, neck, back and arms.
Body stuffed in duffel bag identified as 9-year-old Los Angeles girl; 2 detained
Article via ABCNews
Two people have been detained in connection with the death of a young girl whose body was found in a duffel bag near a Los Angeles-area trail.
Police confirmed the girl’s identity as 9-year-old Trinity Love Jones of Los Angeles County on Sunday night and said two persons of interest had been detained for questioning.
“Investigators have detained two persons of interest in this case and they are actively continuing their investigation,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement Sunday. “Although the Coroner’s Office determined the death to be a homicide, the cause of death is being withheld.”
Trinity’s barefoot body was found last Tuesday along a trail in Hacienda Heights, California. Police had described her as African-American and thin, standing 4 feet 5 inches tall and weighing about 55 pounds.
Authorities said there were no obvious signs of trauma, but her death was ruled suspicious. It’s unclear if she was dead before being placed in the bag, according to authorities.
The sheriff department’s confirmation came hours after a family came forward to identify the young girl as Trinity.
Family and community members gathered at a makeshift memorial on Sunday near the trail where Trinity was found. The area was decorated with pink flowers, balloons, stuffed animals and photos of the young girl.
Antonio Jones, who said he’s Trinity’s father, described her as “fun, loving, big heart, bubbly.”
“Little girl could’ve been whatever she wanted to be in life,” Jones told ABC Los Angeles station KABC on Sunday.
Officials did not release the identity of the detainees but did say more information would be released later this week.
“Due to the overwhelming response from the news media and tips received from the public, investigators have identified the deceased child discovered on March 5, 2019,” the sheriff department said in the statement. “As additional facts are established and verified, investigators anticipate that additional information will be available for release during a press conference later in the week.”
Former White House insider releases explosive book
Cliff Sims, author of “Team of Vipers,” speaks out on “GMA” about his experiences in the Oval Office with the president and the reaction to the book. (via ABCNews)