Beware! Insensitive Zoo Keepers Can Bite!

My friend Michelle sent me this forwarded e-mail this afternoon.

I was in shock. On the same day when the accident happened, I was also there in Arc of Avilon. With Gabi and ALL his Mercado cousins!

We didn't witness the incident. But we were there. And it could have happened to any of us.

We were there on a whim. Miguel had a few hours to kill before flying back to KL with his kids, Luis and Rocio. Paolo had left for Paris earlier that morning but Dana and their two boys, Gio and Pepi, decided to stay a little longer to avoid the bitter winter in Europe.

So to AOA we all went. Wawel and Therese, Samantha and Diego, Miguel, Luis and Rocio, Dana, Gio and Pepi, Beeto, Gabi and myself.

Thankfully no one wanted to pet the snakes. The kids did pose with the birds and the miniature horse and fed the rabbits and giant turtles. But not the reptiles.

I don't know what I would have done if the same thing happened to Gabi or any of my nephews and nieces.

I'd probably bite the snake back! And the handler too! And after reading this forwarded e-mail, I'd probably sink my teeth on the zoo owners as well.

Wow! Can you imagine that? They blamed the victim for "not properly handling" the snake!

THEY should be the ones kept in cages! I'd certainly pay good money to visit a zoo where insensitive merchants are put on display behind bars as a warning to would be consumer victims!

Grrr... Never again.

Date: January 8, 2008 4:30:03 PM GMT+08:00

Subject: Snake Bite Story at the Arc of Avilon in Tiendesitas - FYI

PASS THIS STORY TO YOUR FRIENDS...

My Family and I visited the new Arc of Avilon (AoA) Zoo located at Frontera

Verde near Tiendesitas in Pasig last January 5, 2008. The highlight of the

said zoo is they allow people especially kids to touch their animals like

orangutan, parrots, eagles, rabbits, tortoise and snakes.

And when you allow your kids to touch these animals, you trust that the

animals are harmless and are trained not to hurt its visitors.

Unfortunately, my 2nd daughter was bitten by an Albino King Snake. Her

finger was bloodied so I quickly ask where the clinic was located. I saw a

sign that read Hospital/Quarantine, I quicky open the door but found

nothing inside but some cages and two people talking. I ask if there's a

doctor there and they said none. Then the king snake handler came over and

directed us to follow him. I thought we would be brought to a clinic. To my

dismay, we were brought to a dirty pantry full of flies. And the handler

administered Betadine to my daughter's finger, which was stored in a soy

sauce gallon container. A park with no clinic, no doctor and no medicine.

I took my daughter to the hospital, and upon reaching the hospital the

first question was what kind of snake bit my daughter. I told them its an

Albino King Snake. They were not sure whether the king snake is a venomous

or a non-venomous snake. They said they had to consult an expert about

this. After awhile, Thank God that the king snake was a non-venomous one.

But the doctors wanted to be sure so they gave my daughter an anti-tetanus

drug and ask her to take anti-biotics for seven days.

After reaching home, I texted both Jake and Tina Gaw (owners of AoA) that

the doctor asked us to observe my daughters condition. I also told them

that I am going to write about this horrible experience. Tina texted back

and said: "Jerry, if thats how bad you felt, I respect your personal

feelings concerning the incident. I wish she (my daughter) could have been

more careful in handling the snake or other pets as well especially this

one is exotic. Even tame ones, rabbit, tortoise, mouse, pig bite when they

felt hurt or frighten when not properly handled. And its really sad when

you felt it became a horrible issue."

Now it's my daughter's fault to be bitten by the snake? AoA never bothered

to offer their help and now they blame my daughter for the incident. That

was a very insensitive remark by Tina. I don't think the snake was hurt or

frighten, they were tired and irritated because they were being used to

entertain people.

Exotic you say? Why allow them to be touched by people? Yes, I agree that

animals bite when they felt hurt or frighten, but let me remind the

management of AoA that most of your audience are children, I even saw some

as young as two years old. They will just touch and play with the animals

without knowing whether they're hurting them or not. It is AoA's

responsibility to make sure that none of their animals be hurt or frigthen

so that biting won't happen.

And since accidents happen, how come Arc of Avilon don't even have a clinic

to at least administer some first-aid soluton. What if the eagles decided

to peck the visitors, or use their big claws to attack the visitors. Donkey

or horse suddenly kicking. And snakes biting. There shoud be a doctor, a

clinic and first-aid kit to address this kind of unfortunate incidents.

Arc of Avilon should not allow people to touch a snake that bites plus they

should have expert handlers to assist its visitors. All the Arc of Avilon

management can say is that the snake is a non-venomous one. No other help

was offered, and then they will blame the visitors for mishandling the

animals.

Am I overacting? I don't think so. What are the chances that you will get

bitten by a snake in the metropolis? Worst in a theme park like Arc of

Avilon. As a parent, will you take it sitting down? Will you just take

their word for it that it's non-venomous? Remember, its a snake-bite. Let

this be a warning to all my readers who are planning to visit Arc of Avilon

at Tiendesitas or any other zoo for that matter.

Let my story be a lesson to all. You can ask your kids to look but as much

as possible DO NOT TOUCH. Better yet, DO NOT VISIT the Arc of Avilon

totally, until they improve their facilities. Never again will we go to the

Arc of Avilon.

Thank you and more power. God Bless us all!

Jerry Liao