Dreamworld tiger handler identified following attack

A Dreamworld employee who was attacked by a tiger yesterday has been identified as experienced trainer Melissa Reynolds.

The 47-year-old was taken to hospital after receiving injuries to her forearm and shoulder while she was walking the five-year-old tiger before the park opened.

A spokesperson for Dreamworld says a thorough review will be conducted into the rare and isolated incident.

[RedDoorPaintedBlack.]

Wild animals stay wild animals. People get comfy with them and think because they raised them from young or the animal hasn't attacked them in years that they are tame. The animal can, at any time, for any reason, decide you are prey or an annoyance. If two tigers find each other annoying and exchange a few bites and slaps it's mostly harmless. The same performed on a human body isn't pretty.

[Ragdoll]

The fact she isn't dead makes me think it wasn't even a proper attack, and potentially more likely might have been startled or was playing but was too rough. I mean I've gotten deep scratches from my cats playing, now imagine it being a tiger, it would be way more severe

[matta]

Tiger should be sued and put through mandatory training to prove it understands workplace health and safety before being fed again

[shanevonharten]

Decades of experience are meaningless against millions of yrs of evolution

[danielanthony]

Tiger - Can we play ?
Handler - Sure
Tiger - You're bleeding
Handler - Call Triple Zero

[tamk]

I hope the tiger is ok. I've spent days locked up in solitary continent as a 8 year old kid, and your mind is never the same after.

[Meow-iodh]

I didn’t realise we still had zoos in Australia where keepers interacted with the big cats. That seems so third world. If you’re walking a tiger on a leash, you should expect to be attacked at some point. It’s a wild apex predator.

[guyfanno]

If the tiger meant business she would be dead. For all we know something could have startled it.

[Danceofmasks]

Did she really get attacked by a tiger?
If you make a living riding a unicycle over a tightrope, you don't get "attacked by the floor" if you fall off.
Just sayin'

[mattscott]

How many times does this have to happen before people realize that captive wild animals DO NOT LIKE YOU.

[syntaxd]

If someone locked you in a prison for life for no reason, would you bite them? Zoo keepers are horrible.

[sukkim]

How do you 'walk' a tiger? Do you walk a tiger on a leash? What do you do you if it attacks you? This is unbelievable.

[OlgaQLD]

I hope the tiger is ok and will not be punished or euthanised… sorry the trainer was injured but really, do they forget they are dealing with a strong, predatory wild animal???
The trainer should be held accountable, not the tiger and Dreamworld had better follow through on keeping this very endangered species healthy and alive. The news should follow up on this story and make sure that tiger is not mistreated for the incident.

[tammys]

The tiger is just doing what a tiger does!

[sticks]

I remember walking through the park 15 years ago and they were walking the tigers on chains through the park with two handlers. I've seen enough when animals attack videos. So I grabbed our kids headed to the closets building and locked ourselves inside. As soon as they were gone we left the park. Ive never been back. I couldn't believe the stupidity. All this reminds me of that bear expert.. him and his girlfriend were eaten.. how many times does this have to happen before morons wake up

[danielanthony]

Tigers are wild animals and cannot be tamed
I hope the handler makes a full recovery

[thomasforsyth]

You can take a wild animal out of the jungle, but you can not take the jungle out of a wild animal.

[LootFreak]

They think THEY are walking the tiger. The Tiger is walking the trainers.

They should get the entire animal sanctuary out of Dreamworld and let the professionals like Australia Zoo handle that kind of stuff.

So lame.

[Looking-great]

Why are they still opened and being run by the same company after that water ride tragedy? Ridiculous.

[sierabravo]

Reading some of these posts is exactly my thoughts also.
The Tiger is a dangerous animal.
And should be treated as such.
We've seen orcas/elephant turn on their handlers.
If your going to keep a dangerous animal in captivity for exhibition purposes, at least respect their personal space.
Which is minimal...