A Taiwanese zookeeper lost his arm to a 440-pound Nile crocodile while trying to retrieve a tranquilizer dart embedded in the reptile at the Shaoshan Zoo. Obviously, the animal was not completely anesthetized as it severed the man’s arm with its powerful bite. Amazingly, according to ABC News, the arm was retrieved fairly quickly after the incident and it was reattached.

In February, a boy lost his arm at a circus in east China when he was attacked by a lion that grabbed him through the bars in its cage.

Always keep alert when working with wild animals in captivity. I have never worked with crocodiles or lions but I have worked with cranes, ostriches and spur-winged geese. Unbelievably some birds are dangerous and capable of doing severe damage too. I always kept alert when working in some aviaries. I certainly would never place my arm anywhere near the mouth of a crocodile or be anywhere near the cage of a big cat that is capable of contact through the cage. Furthermore, I would practice extra precaution on any potentially dangerous animal that had been anesthetized.