Lion Mauls Intern, Killed

San Francisco Times: Lion Mauls Intern, Killed
A tragic event occurred at the Cat Haven exotic animal refuge Wednesday. Dianna Hanson, a newly hired intern, was mauled by a 4 year old lion named Couscous. Authorities do not know what caused the attack, but do know the mauling occurred inside the cat's enclosure at a time with only a few staff present. When the discovered the injured Hanson, she was alive, but lying on the ground with the lion standing nearby. After several failed attempts to lure the lion into a different pen, authorities had to shoot the lion in order to reach the girl, who died on the scene.
Obviously there is controversy as to the cause of the attack, actions taken by authorities, etc. while what spurred the attack is unknown, Cat Haven officials said that staff is generally not allowed into enclosures. But, all safety requirements were met, and the last infraction on a short list occurred three years ago. Another exotic animal enthusiast, Tippi Hendren, says that, "it is always the human's fault." She also believes that shooting the lion was a poor choice. This was also a drastic change for Couscous, who was seen as a behaved cub on Ellen in 2010.
A few more statisctis: since 1990, 21 people have been killed, 246 mauled. Since that time, 254 cats have also escaped and 143 killed.
I think there was probably a reason the intern was in the enclosure. Co-workers describe her as dedicate and smart, and her father called it her "dream job." How valid that reason is, I do not know. I also would say that shooting the lion, while unfortunate, was necessary, because at that point Hanson was still alive and required attention.
So, what can we learn? We already know to be careful around dangerous animals, so I guess this serves as a harsh reminder. Obviously we are not the top of the food chain unless we have our tools.
Prayers and consolations to the Hanson family in this time of grief.
God Bless America