Businessman and walrus keeper drown in tragic zoo selfie mishap: Chinese park held accountable
Several years ago, a horrifying accident occurred at the Xixiakou Wildlife Park in the city of Rongcheng, China.
11:35 AM EST, January 8, 2024
Businessman Jia Lijun was visiting the park. While exploring the zoo, he was thrilled by the chance for up-close encounters with the wild animals and consistently updated his friends about his experiences, sharing numerous photos and videos.
At one point, disaster struck. The ordinarily calm walrus lost its patience. It became agitated at the very spot where Jia Lijun decided to take a selfie with it. The man turned his back to the massive creature and was about to take another photo when the 3306lb animal dragged him into the water.
Witnessing the incident, the walrus keeper, Duan, rushed to the scene of the attack. Initially, he tried to rescue the businessman using bamboo sticks, which he extended to him.
However, this failed to work, forcing him to jump into the water in a bid to control the walrus.
Despite Duan being an excellent swimmer and having maintained the animal for a decade, he was drowned by the infuriated creature. The businessman also failed to survive the ordeal.
The Court's Ruling
The court in China recently delivered its verdict on the incident. It held the zoo accountable for the tragedy, indicating that the animal enclosures were inadequately secured.
As a result of the ruling, the zoo is obliged to compensate the deceased's family with approximately 130 000 $.
