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Anteater kills zookeeper

Abdomen ripped open in 'unusual' attack

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An Argentinian zookeeper has died as a result of an anteater attack, Reuters reports.

Melisa Casco, 19, died following an operation to amputate one of her legs. She worked as at Florencio Varela zoo outside Buenos Aires as "part of a conservation and reproduction project involving endangered giant anteaters".

The "unusual" assault - in which the animal ripped open the woman's abdomen and caused damage to her liver, lungs and stomach - was apparently provoked by the creature's instinct to protect its young, although this has not been confirmed. Although the anteater is "usually not aggressive", its claws can cause serious damage if used in self-defence.

A worker at the zoo said the attack was an "accident", and therefore the anteater was not "punished in response". ®

Bootnote

Anteaters can grow to almost three metres in length and weigh up to 50kg. They are, the Argentine Wildlife Foundation notes, "endangered".

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Anybody else notice and wonder?

I had to read this story a couple of times. How horrifying for the poor young womans family, for whom I express my sympathy.

What surprises me somewhat is, why on earth they were chopping one of her legs off, the story indicates that her internal organs were mauled.

She may have died of shock from the fact the doctors were trying to saw one of legs off. Like WTF are you doing down there guys.. Can you, just put everything back in and sew me up please... Errr duh!

The other thing that struck me was. I'm not saying it's easy and I'm sure there are thousands of complications, but do people (esp so young/healthy) usually die from a leg amputation. I mean even the old battlefield/navy operatations, bit of wood between your teeth, stood a resonable chance of success didn't they?

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She was killed by what?

Being an Aussie, when i read she was killed by an Ant Eater, I thought one of these http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echidna Bugger Me, I thought, It must have been really angry. It was only later i learned that South America has Ant Eaters the size of small horses.

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Wrong operation??

If the anteater attacked her abdomen, liver, lungs etc., what the blazes were the doctors doing amputating her leg for? Small wonder she died if they operated on the wrong part of her body. Or maybe they'd had a lot of anteater attacks that week and got the wrong person?

I'm sure a medical guru out there can put me straight on this.

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