The 2012 Attack of Joe Ramonetha

Conway-Smith, Erin. "South Africa: Lioness attacks and kills zookeeper."

Public Radio International, 14 Feb. 2012, www.pri.org/stories/2012-02-14/

south-africa-lioness-attacks-and-kills-zookeeper. Accessed 22 Mar. 2020.

Erin Conway-Smith reports on the events that occured in Johannesburg Zoo in South Africa. She explains that Joe Ramonetha, a 63 year-old seasoned zookeeper, was killed by a bite to the neck by lioness Nyanga after her cage was accidentally left open. Conway-Smith rarely mentions Nyanga, only saying her fate is still being decided by the zoo. Ramonetha is painted as a victim of Nyanga rather than a victim of Nyanag’s captivity. Conway-Smith investigates how it happened, stating, “[a] spokeswoman for the zoo, Louise Gordon, told the Pretoria News that human error may be to blame, as it appeared that gates had been left unlocked” (Conway-Smith). This is a very straight-forward report, rarely using eloquent diction or bias. This article is significant in that it exemplifies the ignorance of the public. The reader is only aware that an attack happened because of a vicious animal. But why did it happen? Captivity heightens an animal’s instinct. The consequences are evidently brutal.

Associated Press. "Lioness kills zooworker in South Africa." Fox News First, 14

Feb. 2012. Fox News, www.foxnews.com/world/

lioness-kills-zoo-worker-in-south-africa. Accessed 22 Mar. 2020.

The Associated Press for Fox News also gives a report on the incident between Joe Ramonetha and Nyanga the lioness. They first explain the event and receive comments from the zoo’s executive manager, Louise Gordon. This article differs from PRI’s previous article because it appeals to emotions through both diction and statistics. The Associated Press uses words such as sprung, screaming, and the inclusion of his Ramonetha’s kids and wife. The Associated Press is much more successful in addressing who is to blame in this situation. Rather than fully victimizing Ramonetha, the Associated Press includes a statistic, stating, “South Africa has about 2,700 free-ranging lions and 4,000 lions in captivity” (The Associated Press). This is alarming, considering there are more lions in captivity than in their natural habitat. This appeal to logic helps the audience understand the gravity of the situation, while pitying the lions who are held captive and the victims of their captivity.