As much as I would like to feel some kind of compassion
for the trainer, I simply have none at all.
Nor will I ever.
This is just who I am and always will be.
I pray for the children and animals who have no voice of their own.
For many of them are treated
horrific on a daily bases.
SweetJudith
Radical Buddhist

Posted by: Judith, Freedom Fighter | May 2, 2007 06:37 PM

ok.... now all you animal right's extremists get off your feet for a standing ovation for another human who worked with animals who met a tragic death....
hip, hip, hooray

Posted by: steve | May 2, 2007 09:07 PM

Judith, I feel exactly the same, can't get myself to feel sorry for someone that puts himself in a cage with a wild animal and trys to "train" the wild out of it.

Steve, apart from the cruelty involved in circuses, this man did this to himself, no-one forced him into that cage whereas the lion didn't have that choice.

Posted by: SB | May 3, 2007 12:26 AM

While I absolutely agree that no one should be using and abusing animals, we in the animal rights movement should never lose compassion for pain and suffering of our fellow humans as well.
I hope you wouldn't wish pain on someone even if you know they are misguided in their actions-this doesn't serve our cause well.

Let's not speak negatively of someone who obviously has learned through horrific pain what this lion was capable of, instead let's stay focused on the goal of ceasing the use of animals in this way and keep our hearts open for all beings.....
I feel for both, I hope the man recoverd and I am saddened for the life the lion was not able to fully live....free in nature......

Posted by: susan | May 3, 2007 01:57 AM

I am sorry to say that I honestly think that the human deserved it! he has probably been bad to that lion, and what I think is even more sick is that they just left that lion there, slowly and painfully dieing! Some people are just so cold!

Posted by: Hanne | May 3, 2007 05:22 AM

I wish I could feel sorry for the trainer, but I couldn't . However, I turned it off when I saw the guard with the gun going towards the cage. That poor lion likely endured years of torture & abuse. And whats with the dog in the same cage. Was that the lion's lunch? If you ask me, I think the trainer got off easy...

Posted by: Janet Fitzgerald | May 3, 2007 07:44 AM

This is the chance he took! He is in the cage with a LION!! He knew what could happen to him and when it does guess who has to die?? The lion didn't have a choice to be there the man did!

Posted by: Rose Kennedy | May 3, 2007 09:18 AM

Hooray for the Lion! That worthless pile of shit got what he deserved, too bad he lived. There is NO way in hell I could EVER feel sorry for people who work in (animal) circuses, they make careers out of abusing animals. I am sorry that the lion lost his life, but has now gone off to the hereafter. What ever the 'hereafter' is, it's GOT to be better than being enslaved by humans.

Posted by: Craig Petersen | May 3, 2007 10:10 AM

this video is awful - indeed! i was crying when i looked it and the tears are still in my eyes when i write these lines. this is a typical result of a total misunderstanding of feline creatures and their reactions. first of all i suggest this lion was caged for all his life and therefore his predator reactions were degenerated! i lived exactly the same thing with my cat - the time when i was afraid of letting her go outdoors. felines need much space to run and jump on trees and use their claws. so when i kept my cat indoors he suddenly catched my leg or my arm and put his claws or teeth deeply inside! once i had to defend myself with a chair. after he forgot everything and was again very sweet and lovely. but since my little tiger goes outdoors he has completely changed and such reactions do not happen anymore. So a lion is much bigger than a cat and the same reaction can be fatal. i think the trainer didn't treat him bad and i feel very sorry also for him but i really mourn the death of this beautiful lion who never had a chance to show himself in his true intention because with his reaction surely he didn't intend the man's death but by being treated completely wrongly - his 'normal' reaction turned into a perverse spectacle and it is in the responsibility of the human being to take lions out of circuses at once in order to avoid such horror in future - really!!!

Posted by: animalfriend | May 3, 2007 11:23 AM

yeah it sucks to kill an animal or animals for that matter. in this case, it's either the man or the lion. they made the right choice and the fact that you people have more compasion over animals than fellow human beings is actually one of the worst things about this and pretty much all you stand for

Posted by: buddhistshouldnthaveopinionsneithershouldpeta | May 3, 2007 12:39 PM

I think the important message here is that confining animals in this way is a lousy idea, both for the humans and the animals involved. Nobody wins in this situation.

Posted by: Jack | May 3, 2007 12:43 PM

hey you buddhistshouldnthaveopinionsneitherpetafreakorwhateveranalphabetyoucan'treadmymessage?youneedsomereadinglessons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: animalfriend | May 3, 2007 12:47 PM

"yeah it sucks to kill an animal or animals for that matter. in this case, it's either the man or the lion. they made the right choice and the fact that you people have more compasion over animals than fellow human beings is actually one of the worst things about this and pretty much all you stand for"

There wouldn't have been a case if the morons working in the circus wouldn't have put themselves in such a dangerous position. The choice they made was no surprise, as it is the general behavior of humans -- save the foolish, compassion-lacking person over the tortured spirit of an animal who was acting in a way nature intended. It's like handing a toddler a gun, knowing that a fatal situation could develop, yet blaming the child in your defense of having to lethally immobilize him. How are we supposed to regard humans as "superior" beings when people stoop so low as to imprison dangerous, wild animals in captivity to live a life behind bars, not able to perform any behaviors that is natural to them, forced to endure daily beatings and do tricks in front of bright lights and loud music just so people (intelligent life?) can be entertained. What is so entertaining about molding nature into our materialistic, shallow society, I don't know. Maybe to understand I'll have to buy some expensive pairs of sweatshop-made shoes or designer handbags with money that could have paid for AIDS vaccinations for thousands of poverty-stricken children in Africa, or perhaps a diamond necklace that cost a person their hands in the blood-diamond trade. Or maybe I could just admire nature for what it is in its true wonder and beauty, without thinking of how humankind can somehow taint it. It is unfortunate the trainer got mauled, but I can’t help feeling more sympathy for the lion, who was the true victim.

Posted by: Cuckoo4tofu (Chelsea D.) | May 3, 2007 01:50 PM

i'm really shocked by this video. these things have to stop! on cnn they once showed another horrible case: an elefant ran away from the circus tent (with a clown hat on his head) - he searched for his trainer, crushed him and fled into a crowd of people, killing many, then the elefant was shot by many gunmen! when he was dead the clown hat was still on his head. this was so cruel that i remember this scene every day in my life! this poor animal has not to be blamed because it was chained all his life in the same place. humans pretend to be the highest living beings on this planet but they are ruthless enough to enslave other living beings just for entertainment or for to get their meat or pelt: their most ruthless atrocity is the fact that they even dare to pretend that there is a god in heaven who allowed them to do all these atrocities because they are the 'crown' of creation! is there anything more absurd and insane than this? i observe all human actions on this planet with interest and i ask myself, how far his criminality is reaching!?

Posted by: paint you red | May 3, 2007 03:53 PM

Wild animal trainers TAUNT ANIMALS and when the animal does the normal thing and attacks, the animal is killed.

These trainers cause these animals to attack.

Posted by: kelly | May 3, 2007 04:21 PM

and animalfriend, your cat is going to get hit by a car, or attacked by a dog, or meet some other terrible fate if you let kitty go outdoors.

Cats are not wild. You CAN train a domesticated cat.

Posted by: kelly | May 3, 2007 04:28 PM

important message to kelly:
thanks for caring about my kitty but he is very intelligent: he was four years inside, then i took him for a walk and since that day he never goes more far than i showed him. we have a big fenced park of 20'000m2 and there is just my dog and thisone is his best friend! thanks again for caring! greetings!

Posted by: animalfriend | May 3, 2007 04:35 PM

This video show what happen when the man have no respect to the wild life. The Lion have to be free in his habitat,the lion is a predator, his are not a cat.The wild life in the circus have to be forbiden, the animals are no machines for to make money for humans beings

Posted by: Moriah | May 3, 2007 05:30 PM

Stone age man would never have put himself in such a situation, he was far too smart for that. We have evolved in a very dubious way.
Mo

Posted by: M. E. Roth | May 3, 2007 05:48 PM

You play with fire and you get burnt. I can't have any sympathy for the trainer but I do the Lion. The Lion could truly say "He Started It"

Posted by: Alan | May 3, 2007 08:14 PM

animalfriend, CATS JUMP OVER FENCES. Fences don't stop them.

They DON'T stay in yards or "where you show them."

Please have a heart for kitty and keep him safe indoors.

Posted by: kelly | May 3, 2007 09:00 PM

First of all, the trainer made the choice to go into the cage.

The lion had no choice.

Second, they could have used a Tranquilizer gun rather than a gun that kills.

And where was the compassion for the lion? They just left it there to die.

Nothing is right about this situation.

Posted by: Larry | May 3, 2007 09:45 PM

me alegro ojala se hubiera muerto ese hombre porque no es justo. lo que le hacen a los animales

Posted by: yelidy arias | May 4, 2007 02:54 PM

No compassion for the tortuer.
I only cry for the Lion and if i had a choice, i would save the Lion

Posted by: Tanya Nikoloudi | May 5, 2007 04:44 AM

I am very glad to see the trainer suffered, but not long enough in my opinion, The lion is at peace now, better than being in a cage. I feel absolutely no pity for the man, KARMA!

Posted by: Cyndi | May 5, 2007 04:00 PM

message to kelly:
dear kelly: it's a phenomenon but he doesn't jump, maybe because he is very afraid of cars and he knows that they cannot hurt him when he is inside the fence but with 20'000m2 he has enough place for himself and this is maybe the reason why he doesn't want to go outside, furthermore he is castrated and additionally to this he likes so much to be with me and his other fellow animals. he really doesn't search anything outthere - if he would i would quickly put him again inside, but he is really a special tiger, i know! thank you for bothering so much about him - have a good time, claudia

Posted by: animalfriend | May 6, 2007 07:17 AM

Animalfriend, I do see that you're being very careful and that's good - but cats do kill endangered wild birds and small mammals, and there are thousands of other dangers for cats in your own yard.

Cats do not produce enough glucoronic acid to metabolize common agents outside, and accidents do happen. Try using a harness. Please visit my blog - I'm going to have a discussion about indoor cats fairly soon. I'm a vet tech, by the way, and have seen tragedies happen to "fenced in" cats as well.

About the attack, I think such a disturbing video is guaranteed to drive away regular people. Animal attacks are very scary - I condone prison for anyone who keeps these poor poor wild animals in these torturous conditions.

But come talk to me when you've been mauled by an animal or seen it happen. It changes your life, even if you're only a witness.

Posted by: Maya | May 7, 2007 02:59 PM

what a retard putting himself with a lion. douchebag

Posted by: chuck norris | May 7, 2007 03:43 PM

dear kelly,
i'm glad to know that you are a vet tech! so let me explain my problem with minou. i had him very small from neighbours i know they treat animals not very well - so he was almost hand reared: normally i'm against hand rearing as i wrote in one article before but here i had no other choice because they got him from where i don't know. so anyhow he grew up with me and my dog - so he is very much attached to us. i kept him four years inside but then i got a big health problem with him. he dried out, first because of the eating - i'm living here in france and here it's impossible to buy healthy animal food, so you have to get it from the vet. i had to have him operated twice. the vet told me to let him outside and to give him special vet food, what i did and i remarked that he eats huge quantities of grass additionally to the vet food. since then i don't have problems with him. he doesn't go more than 10m from the house - just when i go to the big park he accompanies me, always walking behind me and the dog and he is smart: when the grass grows to high he jumps on my shaulder and is riding! he is really sweet. please tell me about your personal blog. i look forward to hearing from you - maybe on a new peta blog site, because i didn't find the way to enter the archive! greetings claudia

Posted by: animalfriend | May 7, 2007 04:03 PM

sorry, my last message is for maya, but of course kelly is also welcome to read it!

Posted by: animalfriend | May 7, 2007 04:10 PM

Hi animalfriend - I didn't know you were from France! My mom's a French teacher! Enchante!

Please email me kery@felinezen.com - I'm a cat behaviorist too.

Posted by: Maya | May 7, 2007 08:49 PM

hello maya,
my e-mail doesn't work - i'm not so much into computers but i got your e-mail adress and you shall hear from me soon! a bientot!

Posted by: animalfriend | May 8, 2007 09:30 AM

maya - here is my e-mail adress: kerim.laham@laposte.net
it's better you e-mail me first and then i answer you directly by the same mail - otherwise i can't get out!

Posted by: animalfriend | May 8, 2007 09:34 AM

....I don't understand the mentality of those who cheer when they see any human or animal in pain- I just can't join in...
....wishing harm on the animal trainer (even though most here agree he is misguided and the lion should have been free to roam in the wild), does nothing to promote the cause of animal rights.....don't let the anger and sadness you feel for the animal translate to wishes of violence on anyone, this will chip away at your own humanity and take away from where the focus should be- on the betterment of the welfare of the animals........

Posted by: susan | May 9, 2007 12:01 AM

it is a pity the lion died, iam sure the trainer and all others animals abuser has learnt a lession out of this trainer experience. would you have choosen to let the man be eaten by the lion???? rest in peace lion. we should learn to defrain from taming wild animal. let them be and remain where they belong.

Posted by: pati la sakasuku | May 30, 2007 04:24 PM

it is a pity the lion died, iam sure the trainer and all others animals abuser has learnt a lession out of this trainer experience. would you have choosen to let the man be eaten by the lion???? rest in peace lion. we should learn to defrain from taming wild animal. let them be and remain where they belong.

Posted by: pati la sakasuku | May 30, 2007 04:25 PM

all these comments of 'im sorry but i think the trainer deserved it' and 'i cant feel sorry for him' are just sickening in my opinion. anybody watching another human (yes i am assuming you are also a human) getting nearly mauled to death who doesnt feel some kind of compassion is a heartless and cruel person. animal rights issues aside for a minute, you are just SICK! i thought it was more upsetting to see the lion shot and killed also, but for Gods sake where is your sompassion for other human beings. You can be an animals rights activist AND have some shred of decency too you know.

Posted by: juliette | June 27, 2007 08:20 AM

Neither I would feel sorry for any of you when I'll see you under a truck's tires or bricks from a collapsing building in an earthquake. I'll be walking by and feel no sorrow just thinking could be one of you.

Posted by: JG | July 15, 2007 09:16 AM

All you animal defending hipocrits seem to be evolving into animals yourselves I wonder whose pets you are going to end up been of. It better don't be me if you misbehave I'll have a stick up yours.

Posted by: JG | July 15, 2007 09:35 AM

When i saw this lion crying
after it has been shot,i felt it in my hart,
what a waste.
They should have shot the f*ng human, respect for the lion.
RIP my beast.

Posted by: Mike | October 29, 2007 12:59 PM

The mistake is that some people believe that animal rights activists have "more" compassion for animals than humans. This is incorrect. Animal rights is about the respect of ALL living things. The truth is (and any thouroughly trained zoologist could confirm this) is that this sort of violent outcome was almost a forgone conclusion. Even the barking dogs (competitors with lions in the wild) in the background in such close proximity to the lion's cage suggests the handlers are untrained and unsympathetic to the lion's environmental needs. Let's keep people alive, let's keep animals alive. Restore the balance. Respect life.

Posted by: Kevin | December 26, 2007 09:47 AM

I just saw this video. The people did right in this video. It's no different an act that you would do to any animal that hurt any child, under ANY circumstance. Dogs are routinely put down because of attacks on children for fear of rabies. To put this animal down was the best thing, so it wouldn't happen again. We are PEOPLE, they are animals, they've not been domesticated for a reason. For all of you people saying this has to stop, seriously are you going to waste your entire lives trying to stop something that's been going on since man came into existence, I mean SERIOUSLY!?!?! Yes, man is mean to animals but, I think everyone's focus ought to be on man's cruelty to DOMESTICATED animals not wild animals, it hurts to see this lion killed but, hurts much worse to find out there is a dog down the street that has no shelter on a 3' leash with a collar that is way to small and is dying from malnutrition.. COME ON!! GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT!!!!

Posted by: Caringperson | February 6, 2008 04:49 PM

Sad all around. Wild animals do not belong in circuses.

I can see compassion for circus animals, but such unrepentantly sadistic, unforgiving, vicious comments about a fellow human being? Where are your priorities?

Posted by: marchingfire | October 26, 2008 03:40 PM

I wast really fazed until the poor lion was shot! I am so upset!

Posted by: lisa | December 16, 2008 05:08 PM