Tiger Escapes. Kills One, Injures Two in SFO

[jfrenaye]

I read this and can't believe that it could have happened. How horrible

http://www.latimes.com/la-me-tiger26...0,744512.story

[the dark knight]

And inexcusable and probably preventable, John. I understand the same tiger severly injured a zoo employee not even a year ago. The zoo obviously didn't get the message the first time. Many people should get in serious trouble for this. My heart goes out the families of those affected by this tragedy.

[Loonbeam]

Having worked at the Phila zoo, I know all too well that sometimes people tend to get in the mindset of thinking of tigers as just really big kitty cats. Philly always had double checks in place to make sure that no one made a dangerous mistake (for example, if a cage was opened with an active animal (rare enough), there were always TWO checks to make sure it was re-secured at a minimum).

In the prior incident, the keeper was attacked through the bars, the tiger was not loose, it was ruled that the cage was not sufficient to safeguard the keepers and was then upgraded.

One possibility that MUST be considered is that the patrons were doing something that they should not. I was at the Philly zoo for over a year. Working just 1 day every other week, I personally saw security pull back a man who tried to climb into the bear area for a better picture; also while I was there, there were several instances of people trying to access other areas, including climbing into the feeding area of the large cats.

[Lynn]

I want to know how the tiger escaped the enclosure.

Loonbeam, I've been involved with wildlife rehabilitation and that same syndrome hits rehabbers. One thing that was drummed into my head from day one is that they are wild animals, even if they are born in captivity.

[Ned]

Right now any conclusion about blame, or how it happened, is very much up in the air.

According to the latest CNN report:

The tiger that escaped, a 300-pound female named Tatiana, did not escape through an open door, Robert Jenkins, the zoo's director of animal care and conservation, told the AP.

Jenkins could not explain how the tiger got out, since the enclosure has a 15-foot moat and 20-foot walls, the AP reported.

"There was no way out through the door," Jenkins told the AP. "The animal appears to have climbed or otherwise leapt out of the enclosure."

[wrp96]

Originally Posted by Loonbeam

One possibility that MUST be considered is that the patrons were doing something that they should not. I was at the Philly zoo for over a year. Working just 1 day every other week, I personally saw security pull back a man who tried to climb into the bear area for a better picture; also while I was there, there were several instances of people trying to access other areas, including climbing into the feeding area of the large cats.

I have seen this happen in other zoos as well. When I lived in Alaska, we had a woman climb over multiple fences at the Alaska Zoo to get into the polar bear cage to get a better photograph. She was hurt but luckily she lived. Pictures of Binky (the polar bear) carrying around one of her tennis shoes made the front page of the paper. Several weeks later a group of drunken teenagers climbed over the fences to try and swim in the pool. One of them was severely injured.

[mtp51]

I believe they are calling the zoo "a crime scene" now. wonder what they'll find....

[Ned]

To begin to answer your question, apparently they are finding a lot.

CNN is reporting that,

Sources close to the investigation told the San Francisco Chronicle that police are probing whether one of the Siberian tiger's three victims climbed over a fence Christmas Day and then dangled a leg or other body part over the moat...

A shoe and blood were found between the fence and the moat, the Chronicle reported, and a footprint has been found on a metal fence at the zoo. The investigation is looking into the possibility that the tiger escaped by latching on to a leg or other body part, the paper reported.

"Somebody created a situation that really agitated [the tiger] and and gave her some method to break her out," zoo director Manuel Mollinedo told the Chronicle. "A couple of feet dangling over the edge could possibly have done it."

So, it looks like the 17 year old who was killed may have been taunting the tiger from inside the enclosure, which now appears as though where the attack started, considering there was a great deal of blood inside the fence.

The boy's father, also named Carlos, criticized the zoo's safety. "They didn't do enough for the public, because I think the zoo should be protective on both sides, protective for the people and protective for the animals," said the elder Carlos Sousa.

Tatiana the Siberian Tiger which attacked the three was held in an exhibit area that included a 20-foot moat and an 18-foot wall. If indeed the 17 year old climbed the 18 foot wall and taunted the tiger, I'd like to know what more the zoo could have reasonably been expected to do. One would think a 17 year old, (I'm not sure the description of him as a boy makes sense.) under the circumstances, would get the picture that he's not supposed to be there. I personally think the father is off-base with that criticism. Doesn't his son have some responsibility there.

People must take responsibility for their own actions, and it is beginning to appear that this 17 year old was completely irresponsible at the zoo, and it cost him his life.

Originally Posted by mtp51

I believe they are calling the zoo "a crime scene" now. wonder what they'll find....

[jfrenaye]

How does one climb a 18' wall--tiger or human? This is so odd!

[Loonbeam]

Sadly, I kind of assumed this was the case...

Real world possible scenario - based on my experience..

We will assume the 17 year old did not go to the zoo alone (how many teenage boys do?). So, I picture him and 2 or 3 similarly aged friends (not necessarily the other victims).

"Dude, lets have some fun with the tiger. Boost me up." The two or three others boost him up, he sits on wall, dangles leg over.

12 feet is not a high jump for a pissed off tiger. Tiger jumps up, grabs kids leg, scrabbles on wall AND kid for the extra feet. Meanwhile, other kids hear friend scream and run like hell.

Tiger now on wall, jumps down, still pissed, and wanders.

*IF* this was the case, and its a big if, not only should the zoo not be liable, if the other kids are found, they should be held responsible for the death of the animal, the loss of visitors to the zoo, emotional trauma, etc. I was at the Phila Zoo helping to clean up after the Primate house fire. I have some idea of what her keepers are going through.

As to the parents, we will assume that between shock and grief that they
are in the state of denial that all parents have. "Not my kid, he couldn't have been involved!"