Christmas tragedy in SF (Los Angeles, San Diego: house, purchase, school)

[Don Vito]

http://www6.comcast.net/news/articles/general/2007/12/26/Tiger.Escapes/ (broken link)

[windsurfingiskewl]

Ouch. Although ppl think they are cute, they aren't exactly friendly.

[Don Vito]

im still trying to figure out how these "professionals" let it happen

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by Don Vito

im still trying to figure out how these "professionals" let it happen

Just watched the news and apparently, she scaled out of the enclosure. We have 9 cats and we foster kittens and let me tell you -- when they want to do something -- they'll do it. Thankfully, domesticated house kitties don't usually want to eat you.

All creatures -- human and animal -- have reasoning and learning abilities, and you can watch them figure stuff out. Kittens are great for this. But sometimes they just have a "Eureka!" moment and they'll do it -- whatever it is.

Our last fosters did that -- we had a door block in place to keep them confined in one room while we were gone but let air in and when they hit 10 weeks -- Fatale decided that was it -- and she scaled it. That was all it took for Zed to do it.

And yeah, I'll go on record to say that I think it's sad they had to kill her. But it sounds like they didn't have a choice...

[redwoodlvr]

I grew up very near the SF Zoo and never visited it once. It always seemed very eerily creepy and dark to me. My parents couldn't bribe me with anything to have me set foot in that place! When my grammer school would take field trips my Mom would write a note. I just couldn't go in there. You can hear the zoo animals at night if you live in the Sunset District and that always disturbed me, even as a child. I imagined they were not very happy and wanted to get the hell out. And I'd have nightmares of the larger animals doing just that -- getting out and running rampant in the streets. I think they should shut the Zoo down. I'm not suprised at what happened yesterday evening at all...not at all.

God bless that poor boy, 17 years old, what a horrible way to die, out celebrating with his brothers and/or friends (not clear on that yet). We can talk about this forever, but I cannot even think of the sheer terror that boy felt when that tiger came after him. I hope he went into immediate shock and didn't feel anything.

And too bad for the Tiger, just doing what comes naturally to tigers. It was not a killer tiger, it was doing what wild animals do. They are not "pets". They are wild animals who hunt and kill for prey and are meant to roam free. They should not be held in captivity, placed in cages for our viewing pleasure. Period. The arguments that we're saving them from something is ridiculous. Saving them from what? Humans? We're the ones who've taken over the land and killed them, putting most of the endangered species on those lists. We should just leave them alone in my opinion. They seem to do just fine on their own.

And I'm not trying to make jokes, but that section of ocean beach where the Zoo is located can be pretty dark, dreary, foggy & cold year round. Some of these animals come from the tropics or areas near the equator, that probably doesn't help with attempts to "domesticating" them either. The Sunset District can drive humans to madness, I would imagine a wild animal experiences this phenomenon no differently. And then add to this people gazing, teasing and staring at you all day. I'd want to get out too.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the men who were mauled and to the young man who was mauled to death and their families irregardless of all the debates this story will bring up, who's at fault, when the lawsuits will start rolling in and so on and so forth. Who cares in the end. That child is gone and I really feel for his family. No amount of a multi-million dollar settlement (which I see coming) will bring him back or ease their grief I would imagine.

[kirsten_g]

I have to echo what redwoodlvr already said...it is sad what happened to those innocent by-standers. Tatiana wasn't happy, and only wanted to be back 'home' with her family which she was separated from. It's not her fault. That's all I have to say.

[floridasandy]

it looks like there is more to this story than it appeared at first.

[RoaminRed]

Originally Posted by floridasandy

it looks like there is more to this story than it appeared at first.

Yes. They're now saying the tiger was taunted by at least one of the victims, who apparently hung his leg over the enclosure. Speculation is that the tiger leapt up and grabbed his leg, which gave her the purchase she needed to make it over the top. Then she killed the idiot and went after the others.

If this is true, then the "victims" were at fault, not the zoo.

[zenjenn]

Saving them from what? Humans?

Well, exactly. Many zoos do amazing work in terms of helping to prevent extinction, and raise public awareness.

I have no idea if the SF Zoo is a good, humane zoo or not. But they do exist. The San Diego Zoo is amazing, and the Los Angeles Zoo isn't too shabby either. If every zoo were up to those kinds of standards I see no problem with zoos - though I do think zoos should not house animals that are from a drastically different climate unless an adequate, spacious, climate-controlled enclosure is possible. (At the San Diego Zoo they do exactly that - with the puffins for example.) Some zoos where they have animals in little cages - yeah, that inappropriate.

I do not see a good zoo as a bad fate for an animal. In a quality enclosure where the natural habitat is reproduced, with no concern for predators, poachers, famine, or disease. I think humans romanticize "living in the wild" for animals, like they are frolicking around wild and free with the butterflies under a rainbow. Life is full of crap, and being an animal in the wild is no exception.

[krudmonk]

Originally Posted by RoaminRed

Yes. They're now saying the tiger was taunted by at least one of the victims, who apparently hung his leg over the enclosure. Speculation is that the tiger leapt up and grabbed his leg, which gave her the purchase she needed to make it over the top. Then she killed the idiot and went after the others.

If this is true, then the "victims" were at fault, not the zoo.

A 17-year old can't vote, smoke, drink, enlist in the military, etc. But you blame one for teasing a tiger and perhaps getting himself killed in the process? Kids do stupid things. That's how they learn. One happened to not get a chance to learn from such an experience and you come in with crap about "he deserved it?" Grow up.