26jun05

A TEENAGER impaled on the main gates of Adelaide Zoo may have died for the sake of a few ice creams.

The body of the 18-year-old, from Medindie, was discovered on the pavement outside the Frome Rd entrance by a police patrol at 6.50am yesterday.

It appeared the man had been climbing the gate when he slipped and the pointed metal post speared his groin, severing an artery.

Police are investigating whether he was responsible for breaking into an ice-cream vending machine inside the gates, eating a Cadbury Toucan and Time Out and then dropping the wrappers nearby.

"That could be a possible scenario – that he came and jumped the fence at the front entrance, smashed open the vending machine and took some ice-creams or ate them then and there," Adelaide Zoo director Mark Craig said. "(It appears he) left the zoo the same way but slipped and and this injury caused his death."

The death will be the subject of a coronial inquiry.

But Sgt Steven Thalborne, of the Adelaide Local Service Area, said police were still investigating whether the two incidents were related.

"Inquiries are continuing into the circumstances of both matters," he said.

"It may very well be he has impaled himself on the fence and, as a result of the injuries, he has suffered a massive trauma which has resulted in his death fairly quickly."

It was also revealed police spoke to the man in Frome Rd at 1am about an unrelated incident. He was alone at the time.

Sgt Thalborne said police were investigating whether a second person was with the teenager when he was impaled.

The zoo's opening was delayed by 45 minutes yesterday as Frome Rd between Victoria Drive and War Memorial Drive was closed for two hours.

Mr Craig said there was no evidence to suggest animals had been disturbed during the break-in.

He said the design of the gates was not for security but rather dated back to the heritage period of the zoo's architecture.

"The gates that we have in the front of the zoo, they've been there for 122 years," Mr Craig said.

"This is the first time an incident of this kind has been recorded."

Zoo staff and volunteers have been offered counselling.

The zoo has a history of bizarre break-ins.

In February last year, a rare squirrel monkey, Cisco, was stolen from his compound and later found in a distressed state in an Edwardstown unit.

In 2002, 16 guinea pigs were kicked and beaten to death by an intruder and, in 1985, two men killed 64 animals and stole $300 after breaking into the kiosk.

Submitted on 06/26/2005

Submitted by: Anonymous
Reference: Sunday Mail, 26 June 2005, Aus

Copyright © 2005 DarwinAwards.com

Kelly said:
Definitely Keep: For Darwin's Eyes
more details on this. Evidently he's not as young as it appeared in the first story. probably worth consideration

Jack said:
Maybe Toss: Other
18 is in the grey area at the top limit of our maturity guidelines, and it could be argued that having successfully climbed the gate to get in, he had no reason to think that he couldn't get out the same way.

Charles said:
Definitely Keep: For Darwin's Eyes
Agreeing here with both Kelly and Jack -- while I have not yet seen the original, the details here will modify the status of the original story, perhaps forcing it to be rejected.

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