Statement 22nd October - Tragic incident at London Zoo
Monday 22 October 2001
Following the tragic death of our colleague Jim Robson, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has released the following statement.
From Michael Dixon, Director General, ZSL
18.00 hrs, 22 October 2001:
ZSL, which runs London Zoo, wishes to clarify its position following speculation over the tragic incident that occurred there on Saturday 20 October.
We are very grateful to the general public for coming forward and giving eye-witness accounts of the event. These accounts are helping us to build an ever-clearer picture of the tragedy and are enabling us to establish the facts in order to take immediate steps to maintain the safety of our keepers and welfare of our elephants.
ZSL takes safety issues very seriously, has a strong safety record, and conforms to European guidelines for the keeping of our animals. The incident is being investigated by three agencies, the Police for the purposes of the Coroner, Westminster City Council from a Health & Safety perspective, and ourselves. ZSL will issue a statement when the results of all these enquiries are known.
Press contact: ZSL Public Relations Office on 020 7449 6363
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