Media Release

16 September 2016

Hamilton City Council sentenced after zookeeper killed by tiger

Hamilton City Council has been ordered to pay reparations of $5,180 to each of zookeeper Samantha Kudeweh’s two children. Ms Kudeweh was killed by a tiger while working at Hamilton Zoo last year.

The Council was also ordered to pay fines of $38,250 after pleading guilty to one charge under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure Ms Kudeweh’s safety.

The Council pleaded guilty on June 9 2016 and was sentenced today at the Hamilton District Court.

A WorkSafe investigation into Ms Kudeweh’s death on September 20 2015 revealed that Hamilton City Council, as the owner and operator of Hamilton Zoo, failed to take a number of practicable steps to ensure the safety of Ms Kudeweh. This included a lack of mechanical and safety features to prevent two gates between the cat chute and the main enclosure being open at the same time, not having a two keeper system in place, or warning signs to indicate that a tiger had not been secured.

WorkSafe Chief Inspector Keith Stewart says this tragic incident was completely avoidable.

“As an employer, Hamilton City Council had a duty to implement safety systems, administrative and mechanical, to ensure that staff never came into direct contact with the tigers, including in the event that a gate was accidentally left open.

“Working with large carnivores like Sumatran tigers will always come with the highest possible risk – there are no second chances if you come into direct contact with a dangerous animal,” says Mr Stewart.

The WorkSafe investigation found that:

› Hamilton City Council should have implemented a two-keeper system for duties related to dangerous animals, particularly the Sumatran tigers, including strict procedures about cross checking by both staff that gates were locked as required.

› The main keeper gate (two gate system) should have remained in original position at the entry of the cat chute gate into enclosure, requiring keepers to walk past the cat chute and check that tigers were contained before entering enclosure.

› Counter-weights on the cat chute sliding gates should have been painted a bright colour so keepers could identify whether gates were open or shut before entering tiger enclosure.

› Mechanical interlock devices should have been fitted to all gates.

› Signage should have been put up at keeper gates to remind keepers to double check that tigers were secured.

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