A scientist who was attacked by a tiger in Russia has described how he escaped after the animal charged at him at 30mph. Dr John Goodrich, chief scientist at Panthera, a global wild cat conservation charity, was working in Russia’s Primorsky Krai region in 2009 when the incident occurred.
Research and the attack
Dr Goodrich was part of a team carrying out research on Siberian tigers. The work involved humanely capturing wild tigers in snares and fitting them with radio collars to learn more about the endangered species and how to protect them.
Speaking to The Guardian, he recalled the moment he almost lost his life after a tiger broke free from a snare. He was doing his rounds alone when he noticed a tiger caught in one of the traps. He moved closer to estimate its weight and sex, but when he got to around 40 metres away, he realised it was an adult male of around 400lb and turned back.
The escape
At that point, the tiger charged and broke free from the trap, bolting towards him. Dr Goodrich popped a flare he had on him and waited for it to light and scare the tiger off as it pounded towards him at 30mph. The animal smashed into his chest, sending him flying.
Once on the floor, he raised his left hand to defend himself, with the tiger biting through it a number of times. He managed to jam the lit flare into the chin of the animal, causing it to flee. He then ran back to camp and received medical attention, later undergoing multiple surgeries in hospital.
Ongoing passion for conservation
Despite the ordeal, he remains passionate about efforts to protect the creatures, and said it wouldn’t put him off from his conservation work. The incident comes after a man died following an attack by an Amur tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster on Saturday. Eyewitnesses said the man entered the enclosure before being pounced on by the creature. Staff at the park were praised for their response, and investigations into the circumstances around the attack are ongoing.
