It is being dubbed, perhaps not surpsingly, Panda-gate.
A zookeeper could have been “seriously injured or even
killed” after one of Britain’s two giant pandas was accidentally allowed back
into its enclosure while the area was still being cleaned.
A photograph of the incident was made public by disgruntled
staff who blamed the security lapse on staff shortages at Edinburgh Zoo.
The image shows the female keeper leaving the enclosure
through a door with the panda just a few feet behind her. A brush and bucket
lie abandoned on the floor.
A leaked email alleged that the worker could have died or
been badly maimed in the incident.
It was sent to officials
with further claims that the institution is in “crisis”; morale is at
rock bottom; and that animal welfare is at risk.
The email also claimed that the giant panda, thought to be
the male Yang Guang, could have escaped into the public areas of the zoo. Yang
Guang and the female Tian Tian arrived amid much fanfare in 2011 after being
loaned to the zoo by China. The breeding pair have so far failed to produce
offspring.
The zoo, owned by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland,
initially dismissed the claims of the “near miss” as “scurrilous and
unfounded”, but admitted yesterday that the incident had taken place.
The email sent to management stated: “We have found out that
there was a very serious near miss last year when a panda was let back into the
enclosure with a keeper still cleaning in there and she could have been
seriously injured or even have died.
“We got to hear about the near miss with the panda a while
after it happened, just through rumour at first and then the keeper who
experienced it went off sick and never came back.
“She heard it behind her just in time to be able to get out
of the enclosure. If she hadn’t she could have been mauled, seriously injured
or even killed.
“We also know that the panda could have escaped into the
public area of the zoo. Are we going to wait for a disaster to happen before
things change at the zoo?”
As well as revealing the panda incident, it made a range of
complaints and allegations and said staff were worried about their jobs and the
future of the zoo.
It added: “Some of the keepers are concerned about the
welfare of the animals as sometimes they are so short-staffed and have little
time it stops them giving proper care to the animals.
“There is a dreadful atmosphere around the zoo with staff
morale the lowest we have ever known it.”
The zoo refused to comment on other claims in the email,
except to say that it contained “inaccuracies".
The spokesman added that the organisation took staff welfare
and morale “extremely seriously” and had a well-established “employee
consultation board”.
The leaked email stated: "We have found out that there
was a very serious near miss last year when a panda was let back into the
enclosure with a keeper still cleaning in there and she could have been
seriously injured or even have died.
The email concludes by stating that the staff involved have
no confidence in senior management.
The zoo remains the second most popular paying visitor
attraction in Scotland, although visitor numbers have dropped recently.
A spokesman said: “Staff reported a near miss within the
panda enclosure last year. This was fully investigated and Edinburgh Council
were kept informed throughout the process. No staff or animals were harmed
during the incident.”
The zoo refused to comment on other claims in the email,
except to say that it contained “inaccuracies”.
The spokesman added that the organisation took staff welfare
and morale “extremely seriously” and had a well-established “employee
consultation board”.
Despite their “cuddly” image, adult giant pandas have a
powerful bite and can be extremely dangerous.
In 2006, a drunken 28-year-old man had his right leg badly
savaged by a panda after climbing into its enclosure at Beijing Zoo to try to
pet the animal.
