A zoo tragedy that could have been avoided

A tragic attack on a 9-year-old boy by a bear in a Pingdingshan zoo in Henan province has exposed not only the loopholes in the zoo's management, but also poor guardianship. Despite being in a cage, the bear bit off the right arm of Lele (pseudonym) while he was playing with his grandfather on Saturday afternoon. The tragedy should thus teach zoo officials and parents important lessons.

Lele was taken to the hospital, where doctors had to amputate his right arm to save his life.

A witness said that Lele climbed over a 1.2-meter-high fence that encircles the bear's cage and walked near the bear when the attack happened. But he said the tragedy could have been avoided if the railings in the cage had been close enough to prevent the bear from jutting out its mouth. Lele's father, too, said the railings were too far apart from preventing the animal from sticking out its legs or mouth.