Posted on 12/25/2007 6:56:38 PM PST by Shermy
SAN FRANCISCO - A tiger escaped its cage at the San Francisco Zoo on Tuesday, killing one person and injuring two others, a newspaper reported.
The tiger was shot, San Francisco Fire Department spokesman Lt. Ken Smith told the San Francisco Chronicle. It was not immediately clear how the tiger escaped.
The zoo, which had been scheduled to close at 5 p.m. PST, was evacuated.
It was unclear whether the victim was a visitor or a zoo worker.
Police officers and firefighters are investigating.
Officials at first worried that four tigers had escaped, but only one escaped its pen, Smith said.
Last December, one of the zoo's tigers mauled a zookeeper during a regular public feeding. The 350-pound animal reached through the cage's iron bars and badly lacerated her arm. The zoo's Lion House was temporarily closed during an investigation.
Yep! Jump the moat and climb the fence! The tiger was determined! Apparently the two in the hospital are in good shape. Wounds cleaned and on antibiotics.
The two don't seem to be talking about the incident itself, or the hospital is "respecting their privacy," so no word on "taunting the tigers."
Why would a tiger have to jump a moat? Can’t they SWIM? Can’t all cats swim?
I don’t recall water being in them
I suppose you also think reports of Earth First or Islamic terrorist attacks are “ridiculous” and “paranoid” too. No one would ever do something as malicious as release a tiger on purpose because the world is full of saintly, happy people right? Whatever. Sorry to have disturbed your fantasy world.
LOL! Give a fool enough rope ...
Very short ropes are often just enough.
#18 at Pebble?
It has happened before at the SF Zoo. Several years ago a young female monkey with baby in tow escaped from the Primate enclosure. I don’t now the actual species but were some sort of tree dwellers. Apparently some trees had grown sufficiently to allow a leap to freedom. The mom and her baby were outcasts in the troop and in desperation she made a bid to get out. They both ran around the surrounding neighborhoods for several days until finally trapped and returned. Of course the monkey was only a few pounds but managed to get across several major boulevards.
The enclosure was up to modern standards with a large moat and high wall. The morons who were attacked had been taunting and tormenting the tiger before the attach. It seems the strength and abilities of a completely pissed-off tiger exceeded the design specifications.
A friend in the service related to me an incident at the San Diego Zoo that he witnessed while he was on leave back in the late 60’s. Two sailors in their white uniforms were having some fun with the chimps pelleting them with peanuts and laughing at them. The chimps got major P’Od and retaliated in chimp fashion with a fresh load load of chimp feces flung thru the bars all over the two sailors. In that case it was poetic justice. This tiger incident was bit different.
I don’t go to zoos anymore. As a young boy my family went to the San Deigo zoo many times. It was exciting and wondous to see the animals when I was young. But I find them depressing today. I know there are many zoos that take very good care of the animals in their charge and the people who take care them are professionals. I have nothing against zoos but I just can’t bring myself to walk through one today.
Really! They were tormenting the tiger and he jumped the moat and climbed the fence. Wow! What an amazing story this is turning out to be. That almost implies he was 1/2 way happy in his abode there before the attack. I mean he could have escaped at any time previously.
The victim by the tiger enclosure “MIGHT” have been taunting the tiger but unless there is an independent witness the victim isn’t talking so no one will know for sure. As far the other two go my take is after the tiger offed the initial victim it just followed its nose to the smell of food from the cafe. Once there it see’s humans and smells food. It already knows humans are tasty so it picks the closest targets and then does what a tiger does
I am currently consulting on the design of the Girl Guides SWAT truck. As soon as we get the "WonderBread" decals off, I'll turn my organization's (of which you are at least a quondam member) attention to a proper road motif for this desperately needed gay LEO SWAT.
This SWAT design project has gathered a life of its own, as nowadays every organization in this fair land of ours has its very own SWAT. Next is the Lewiston-Auburn Public Library, which needs a SWAT to take down the holders of overdue books and tapes.
There is one minor point: as a member of Shermy's Animal Damage Reportage Squad, you neglected to mention that the straight-shooting (if nothing else straight) SF cops apparently shot the right tiger. Could be a first. Whatever they were smoking or drinking at the time might well be investigated as a pre-action supplement for other cops, like in Seattle.
Fox: news conference coming up. Also, the 2 injured are brothers
Thanks ... now watching to see what is said. Will be interesting to see if the brothers knew the person who died. That fact would be very telling ... if it were true.
>>this one seems to have been motivated by the taunting<<
Seems that the zoo visitors have learned nothing from our English cousins:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9V7zbWNznbs&feature=related
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.