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http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,629309,00.html

06/08/2009 06:27 PM

FINGER FOOD

Chimp Bites Off Berlin Zoo Director's Finger

Was it an accident, greed or revenge for being locked up? A chimpanzee called 
Pedro made a name for himself on Monday by biting off the forefinger of 
Berlin Zoo's director.

A chimpanzee called Pedro bit off the forefinger of Berlin Zoo director 
Bernhard Blaszkiewitz on Monday as he was trying to feed him through the bars 
of his cage.

A spokeswoman for the zoo said Blaszkiewitz, 55, had been leading a group 
round the zoo and wanted to hand Pedro a snack through the bars when the 
chimp grabbed his arm and bit off almost all of his forefinger. "It was just 
hanging by a shred of skin," local daily "B.Z." quoted an eyewitness as 
saying. 

Blaszkiewitz was rushed to hospital where doctors tried to sew his finger 
back on. Zookeepers said their boss hadn't stuck to the safety rules that he 
kept on reminding them about -- maintaining distance to the animals. 
Chimpanzees are known to be potentially dangerous. 

Blaszkiewitz kept calm despite his wound. "He wasn't any more upset than if 
someone had trodden on his foot," the spokeswoman said. 

The zoo couldn't immediately be reached on Monday evening to ascertain 
whether the operation was successful and whether Pedro has had his banana 
rations cut.

Blaszkiewitz presided over the hand-rearing of polar bear cub Knut in 2007. 
The bear became an international media celebrity and brought the zoo a surge 
in visitor numbers and profits.