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Trail of blood apparently led escaped tiger to victims
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Dec 27, 2007 | Kevin Fagen, Jaxon Van Derbeken, Steve Rubenstein, Cecila Vega

Posted on 12/27/2007 6:35:20 AM PST by fignewton

San Francisco police are investigating the possibility that one of the victims in the fatal tiger mauling on Christmas Day climbed over a waist-high fence and then dangled a leg or other body part over the edge of a moat that kept the big cat away from the public, sources close to the investigation said Wednesday.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Local News; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: darwinawards; holdmuhbeer; sf; tiger; zoo
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To: driftdiver

The kid was hung up inside of the fence and the cat did a double jump off him.


121 posted on 12/27/2007 9:55:37 AM PST by BurbankKarl
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To: BurbankKarl

best post of the day award! LOL


122 posted on 12/27/2007 9:55:59 AM PST by RDTF
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To: RedMonqey

“It should have been euthanized after the FIRST attack.

That’s it. Period.”

When its your tiger you can make that call.


123 posted on 12/27/2007 9:56:08 AM PST by driftdiver
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To: RedMonqey

Zoo animals are not circus animals, people don’t need to go in with them. Most zoos instead adopt procedures for containing them and controlling them if and when people need to go in the compound.

The original handler made a mistake that led to the first incident. These animals ~already~ lack fear of people, they’re dependent upon us. We need to remember that they are tigers, not pets, and not moral creatures, just animal. This one was a rare animal that had value and her death is a big loss that is regrettable.

That’s it. Period.


124 posted on 12/27/2007 9:57:39 AM PST by HairOfTheDog
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To: BurbankKarl

“The kid was hung up inside of the fence and the cat did a double jump off him.”

That would make sense. I don’t think the cat did it all by himself tough. He had to have some kinda help.


125 posted on 12/27/2007 9:58:06 AM PST by driftdiver
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To: driftdiver

Have there been any pictures posted of what the compound looked like, where they think the kid want in?


126 posted on 12/27/2007 10:00:47 AM PST by HairOfTheDog
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To: driftdiver

er.... where they think the kid ~went~ in?


127 posted on 12/27/2007 10:01:18 AM PST by HairOfTheDog
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To: BurbankKarl

are they now saying he was inside the tiger compound area??


128 posted on 12/27/2007 10:02:29 AM PST by RDTF
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To: RedMonqey

I disagree. Having a tiger in a cage is a risk in the first place. If they take that responsibility and risk to stick it in a cage...they at least owe it a decent life...especially when it does what a tiger does.


129 posted on 12/27/2007 10:05:07 AM PST by Fawn (Will a REAL CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE please enter the race!!)
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To: RedMonqey
"Once a dangerous animal like a tiger has lost it's fear or respect for a human as a equal, i.e. surrogate alpha predator it will come to see all humans as just another prey animal."

The idea that any human can reliably maintain such a relationship with any large, non-domesticated predatory species is absurd. And even if it was possible, such a large predator can kill or maim you without meaning to.

In this particular case, there was no choice but to put the animal down (once it escaped its enclosure). But climbing into a cage with a fully conscious tiger is inherently dangerous, and anyone doing so should accept the responsibility for the consequences rather than push that responsibility off onto the animal. We're supposed to be the more intelligent of the two species. Perhaps it's better to use that intelligence and NOT take unnecessary risks with the lives of the zoo staff and animals.
130 posted on 12/27/2007 10:07:20 AM PST by LIConFem (Thompson. Lifetime ACU Rating: 86 -- Hunter Lifetime ACU Rating: 92 (any combo will do, fellas))
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To: RDTF

A shoe from the dead victim was found inside.


131 posted on 12/27/2007 10:14:53 AM PST by Judith Anne (I refuse to have a tagline anymore. Nope. Not gonna do it. Won't go there.)
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To: Judith Anne

wow


132 posted on 12/27/2007 10:17:45 AM PST by RDTF
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To: HairOfTheDog

“Have there been any pictures posted of what the compound looked like, where they think the kid want in?”

The only one I’ve seen is a very high level and I couldn’t see any detail.

It was described as a 15 moat with a 20 foot wall. The tiger may be able to pass one of those but not both. Especially a cat that been kept in captivity for years.


133 posted on 12/27/2007 10:18:39 AM PST by driftdiver
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To: driftdiver
When its your tiger you can make that call.

This true.

It is also true that the Zoo and the city taxpayers will enjoy hearing from the "victims" lawyers as the families seek compensation i.e., the deepest pockets for this travesty..

One of the charges doubtlessly will be for "reckless neglect",knowingly allow such a dangerous animal access to the public.

But that's not my problem/sarc.
134 posted on 12/27/2007 10:21:21 AM PST by RedMonqey
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To: driftdiver
I think it jumped over the moat. See my post 113 for the link:

# A Siberian Tiger can jump 15 feet in the air. It can also leap 30 feet across the ground and run 50 miles per hour to catch its prey.

135 posted on 12/27/2007 10:23:41 AM PST by Judith Anne (I refuse to have a tagline anymore. Nope. Not gonna do it. Won't go there.)
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To: RedMonqey

“One of the charges doubtlessly will be for “reckless neglect”,knowingly allow such a dangerous animal access to the public.”

If they knew the tiger could get out then yes. If they took reasonable precautions and this kid did something idiotic then I wouldn’t fault the zoo. If they did what everyone thinks they did then they were committing a crime. That changes the liability picture.


136 posted on 12/27/2007 10:25:51 AM PST by driftdiver
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To: Judith Anne

“# A Siberian Tiger can jump 15 feet in the air. It can also leap 30 feet across the ground and run 50 miles per hour to catch its prey.”

Possibly, Jack Hanna said it was very unlikely. This was a captive tiger which was fairly inactive and without the muscle tone of a wild tiger.

It would have had to do both (wall and moat) at the same time. IMO the kid was on the wall and the tiger used him for leverage.


137 posted on 12/27/2007 10:28:25 AM PST by driftdiver
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To: driftdiver

Just my opinion, again, but the depth of the moat is meaningless if the tiger jumped across it, and remember, the tiger can jump 30 feet.


138 posted on 12/27/2007 10:36:40 AM PST by Judith Anne (I refuse to have a tagline anymore. Nope. Not gonna do it. Won't go there.)
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To: Red_Devil 232

Did you hear that the dead victim’s shoe was found inside the tiger compound?


139 posted on 12/27/2007 10:37:17 AM PST by RDTF
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To: fignewton

Tiger did it’s natural thing. Once, she got out...what would one expect.


140 posted on 12/27/2007 10:40:25 AM PST by shield (A wise man's heart is at his RIGHT hand;but a fool's heart at his LEFT. Ecc 10:2)
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