When the county announced that restaurants and shopping centers would be reopening inside the tiger-infested pit, Anna Ramirez was worried.
“If I take my family out to eat in the pit, will we get mauled by tigers?” she wondered. “Until the county gets rid of the tigers, I just won’t feel safe.”
Ramirez, an urgent-care nurse who has been working extra shifts to deal with the uptick in tiger-related injuries, says she now feels anxiety whenever she spends time in the pit, which was recently overrun by ravenous, 500-pound cats.
When the county first closed the tiger pit in response to the rash of disembowelings and dismemberments, many people found it impossible to imagine spending months indoors without venturing into the den of the possibly rabid, man-eating beasts. But now, as the pit reopening begins, some find it equally difficult to resume their former social life, with its plethora of pit-related activities. Dr. Ben Gal, director of the Psychology Department at the University of the Pit, says these feelings are normal.
“When our media bombards us 24/7 with images of people being devoured entrails-first, it’s natural to have some residual anxiety that the same thing might happen to you,” he says. “But when your anxiety begins to interfere with your daily life, it becomes a problem. You have to find ways to overcome it. Especially if you have tender, soft flesh.”
If you’re having difficulty balancing your need for a haircut with your fear of your face being ripped off by razor-sharp, 4-inch claws, Dr. Gal offers these tips.
FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES
During Phase 2, high-risk businesses, such as outdoor barbecues, will remain closed. Additionally, guests must socially distance to avoid creating enticing clusters. Activities such as walking around with a raw steak on your head will not resume until Phase 3, which begins next week.
While some residents have questioned why next week is predicted to be safer than this week, given that no tigers have actually been removed from the pit and, indeed, new tigers have been arriving every day in search of an easy meal, Dr. Gal says the important thing is to obey the rules.
“These are trained public-health professionals,” he says. “Follow their instructions and there really is minimal risk that you’ll discover what your own intestines look like.”
DON’T EXAGGERATE THE RISK
According to Dr. Gal, 99% of pit visitors do not get mauled. “650,000 Americans die of heart disease every year,” he says. “Next to that, a few hundred tiger maulings are a rounding error. More people drown in bathtubs every year than get killed by tigers.”
Additionally, he reassures us that the vast majority of mauling victims are disabled or elderly. “An able-bodied 18-to-45-year-old should be able to easily outrun a hungry tiger,” he says. “Moreover, over 80% of maulings are mild.”
A mild mauling is defined as one where the victim’s relatives are able to identify the body.
TALK TO A PROFESSIONAL
If, after these steps, you find yourself still unable to shake the fear of being stalked by an apex predator with a bite strong enough to pierce a human skull, Dr. Gal recommends you speak with a professional.
“Cognitive behavioral therapy has proven very effective at overcoming your instinctive fear of the hungry glint in a giant carnivore’s eye just before it strikes,” he says. “The sooner you reach out and get help, the sooner you can resume your normal day-to-day life, with its full slate of activities that leave you defenseless and exposed in heavily tiger-trafficked areas.”
He reminds everyone that his office at the University of the Pit is always open.