Posted on 12/27/2007 10:18:04 AM PST by wardaddy
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The big cat exhibit at the San Francisco Zoo was cordoned off as a crime scene Wednesday as investigators tried to determine whether a Siberian tiger that killed a visitor escaped from its high-walled pen on its own or got help from someone, inadvertent or otherwise.
Police shot the 300-pound animal to death after a Christmas Day rampage that began when the tiger escaped from an enclosure surrounded by what zoo officials said are an 18-foot wall and a 20-foot moat. Two brothers who also were visiting the zoo were severely mauled.
Police Chief Heather Fong said the department has opened a criminal investigation to "determine if there was human involvement in the tiger getting out or if the tiger was able to get out on its own."
Police said they have not ruled anything out, including whether the escape was the result of carelessness or a deliberate act.
(AP) Tatiana, a female Siberian tiger that killed one person and injured two others, is seen in the lion... Full Image
Fong said officers were gathering evidence from the tiger's enclosure as well as accounts from witnesses and others.
One zoo official insisted the tiger did not get out through an open door and must have climbed or leaped out. But Jack Hanna, former director of the Columbus Zoo and a frequent guest on TV, said such a leap would be an unbelievable feat, and "virtually impossible."
"There's something going on here. It just doesn't feel right to me," he said. "It just doesn't add up to me."
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.myway.com ...
News still hasn’t given the names of the 19 and the 23 year old men that survived.
Might have been the only real kill of the Tiger’s life.
Hahaha. Good one.
Great theory. It sounds like something the Mafia would do to someone who is in arrears on a drug debt.
And you know, they wait until all the ants are on board, and then they all bite at the same time. ;)
Actually, if his last name was Sousa as reported last night on Fox News, he would likely have some Portuguese background on his father’s side.
Holy Lying Straw Men Batman!
Magnificent sure but peaceful no.
No worries, I think a lot of people, to include the authorities, now are starting to think the same thing. That tiger probably used that dangling kid the same way my old cat used to use the drapes when he wanted to try and get the birds outside the window. p>
They didn’t deserve it in a court of law, but by the law of nature, they had it coming. In this case, nature’s law won over our attempts to keep it from occurring.
Kitty got pissed and realized...”hey, I can jump that.”
Normally kitty was not angry enough to do that. But, kitty found a way this time since she was being taunted and bullied.
Sucks for the people, but nature’s law kicked our law in the ass.
The big cat did get put down though, which is sad. But, it was justified when it advanced on the officers.
Uh...
A person seein' his cage mates eyeballing you?
This is evolution in action. Idiot genes being pruged from the Gene pool. Too bad the cat had to die though. It was just doing what tigers do very well.
And the idiots - well, they were doing what idiots do well too.
As you wish, the following quote is from the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel of 26 Dec 2007.
When members of the zoo staff realized a tiger was loose, he said, "the zoo shooting team was assembling," with tranquilizer guns. "But when police saw the weapon, they took it away. They had taken control of the scene."
The following link will take you to the New York Times/ AP article: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=700775
I hope that clears up the issue for you.
Regards,
GtG
Uh...
I may have responded too quickly to you before...
I agree with your gangbanger theory. The area near the zoo is home to some very shady characters (and some fine citizens too.) My first thought was that baiting the tiger and/or letting it out of its enclosure was some gang initiation stunt.
The police chief called the area near the tiger enclosure a “crime scene.” I’m quite sure she’s correct. In SF especially, if it turns out that the two mauling “victims” were really perps, they are in for jail time — at least.
One Siberian tiger is worth more than 100 stupid Neanderthal gangbangers. Such a tragedy that it was destroyed.
Sentimentality. Disneyfied. Bugs me, too. My notion-- Pets is pets, and food is food. Rather like a Tiger thinks, LOL--
I meet a lot of folks who have this kind of passion for animals--they often have no kids and don't like them very much. But how they love their pets!
Reminds me of the caterwauling here on FR over a kid who got herself bit by some rodent at a zoo, and her parents called for a rabies exam which meant the animal had to die. There were many on FR who positvely wanted to beat the crap out of the kid or deny her the test. This for some vermin not remotely endangered.
The two may very well be held accountable for the death of their "friend"--perhaps even some level of homicide. And the zoo can charge them for vandalism and trespass.
But here's hoping they don't get to sue the zoo!!
Thanks! - it does give credibility to your claim that they took control of the tranq guns. Mia culpa
It still think it’s a HUGH leap to assume they executed a tranquilized cat, but we all have our biases that taint our assumptions. ;~)
Is there any WATER in it?
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