Memorial unveiled to Hamilton Zoo keeper

A memorial to Hamilton Zoo Curator Samantha Kudeweh has been unveiled at the Zoo, marking one year since her tragic death.

Kudeweh was killed by male Sumatran tiger Oz on 20th September 2015.

The memorial is a bronze sculpture of a baby Southern white rhinoceros.

Kudeweh, an experienced and long-serving senior member of the Hamilton Zoo management team, was instrumental in an international captive breeding programme for the endangered species.

The sculpture was created by Taupo-based artist Murray Matuschka, and has been placed next to Hamilton Zoo's Southern white rhinoceros enclosure.

Either side of the sculpture are plaques noting Kudeweh's career and contribution to the Zoo sector and her death at the Zoo last year, and also outlining the subject of the sculpture – rhino calf Ubuntu, who was born at the Zoo in 2010.

Hamilton Zoo Director Stephen Standley says the baby rhino sculpture was considered an appropriate and poignant way to mark the one-year anniversary of Kudeweh's death.

He explained "Sam committed a huge amount of time and energy to conserving the Southern white rhinoceros and we felt this was the right way to honour her.”

As of last Friday (16th September), Judge Denise Clarke imposed a $38,250 fine and $10,000 in reparation to be paid by Hamilton District Council, the owner of the Zoo, to Kudeweh’s family in the Hamilton District Court.

In June the Council had pleaded guity to negligence in the Hamilton District Court.

The Council has reportedly already made an additional $116,000 payment to Kudeweh’s family.

The charge against the Council, laid by WorkSafe NZ, stated that it had breached the Health and Safety in Employment Act by failing to take all practicable steps to ensure Kudeweh was not exposed to hazards arising out of working with the tiger.

The Council conceded that it had not take all practicable steps to keep Kudeweh alive and offered its deepest sympathies to her family and all those affected by her death.

Kudeweh was killed not long after she had fed Oz, who was in the main tiger den at 9am.

After placing the tigers' meat in the ‘feed flap’ in the den of an area called the Old Tiger House, she left, but did not close any of the gates between the outside enclosure and the den, allowing Oz to continue to be able to move freely between the two areas.

Kudeweh returned to the tiger enclosure at 10am to get bamboo to feed the zoo's red pandas. It was at that point she was killed.

Her body was found in the main enclosure with Oz sitting next to it.

According to reports, the WorkSafe investigation found the Council negligent in several areas, including not having a ‘two-keeper routine’ for entering and leaving the tiger enclosures, such as that used by staff at Auckland Zoo.

WorkSafe's investigation also included an examination of a 2013 incident at the zoo involving a tiger. On that occasion, a keeper entered an enclosure she thought was empty and found herself alone with Sumatran tiger Sali.

Images courtesy Hamilton Zoo/Facebook.

15th September 2016 - COURT HEARS OF IMPROVEMENTS TO HAMILTON ZOO SAFETY SYSTEMS AFTER KEEPER’S DEATH

11th July 2016 - HAMILTON ZOO ANNOUNCES BIRTH OF WHITE RHINOCEROS BABY

21st September 2015 - HAMILTON ZOO TIGER WILL NOT BE EUTHANISED

20th September 2015 - TIGER KILLS KEEPER AT HAMILTON ZOO

18th March 2009 - MOGO ZOO LIONESS SHOT DEAD