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 ...
Holy Mischaracterizations Batman!
It wasn't one animal that had to be put down, it was ALL of them, since they didn't know which animal bit her. Even though the chance of rabies was extremely low in a controlled zoo environment, and even though she could still have the shots as a precaution, and the animals would not have had to die.
But first, he'd make one of those incredibly awkward segways to talk about how the jumping tiger reminded him of Prudential Insurance!
Regards,
GtG
'Cause that's what big cats do!
Didja ever see a video of lionesses chasing impalas? They'll go right by one that AIN'T running away to snatch the one she has her eye on!
LOL!
“Well, Jim, you just never know when you’re going to need life insurance, especially if you work for me.”
You could hear the $$$$$ signs in his voice.
He said that it didn't matter if his kid was tormenting the tiger, it was the zoo's fault.
bump for later
The moat surrounding the enclosure from which a 350-pound tiger escaped on Christmas Day was actually far shorter than San Francisco Zoo officials thought and what national standards recommend, authorities said today.
The wall was only 12.5 feet high. Forget the dangling teen theory...the tiger could have jumped out flat footed.
Well, if I ever sat on such a jury, he'd have to answer two questions... First, if you were so close, why were you not even aware of what your son's Christmas day plans were, and second... how exactly has his death cost you several million dollars?
Does no one there have a tape measure? Did we just eyeball it?
INDEED!!
It went out with the mail!
- a trench that is 14 feet deep...”
Is there any WATER in it?
Someone here said 4’ of water, but no way to verify any info right now. Maybe the zoo web site but ...???
You can’t make anything idiot proof. The world always builds a better idiot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87pDGsTYCqU&feature=related
Little Dillan learned not to tease a tiger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00giGIsauiQ
Not a problem. In fact you were right, I did not know what happened to be factual. Newspaper reports are rather unreliable and in a case as unusual as this the mind tends to run ahead of the known issues as it blithely fills in the blanks.
Regards,
GtG
It isn’t that they deserved to die for throwing rocks and sticks at the animal, otherwise known as taunting; but I can’t help but think these victims were not children, they were teenagers who should have known better.
from JSOnline article-
“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 article is not clear as to the logisitcs. I am not convinced of Gray’s statements about the tranquilizing.
“The zoo team was assembling...”
= they had not even gotten a bead on the animal yet ? Meanwhile people are being stalked by the tiger?
and the cops arrived and shot the tiger, hence
“taking control of the scene...” .
No where is it reported that the cops took away the tranq gun and then killed the tiger or that the tiger had been tranqed at any time.
Holy cow! I wonder how long a stretched-out tiger is? Seems it would be easy for a large animal like that to jump 12 feet.
An interesting snip from that link:
“An examination of the tiger’s body also revealed a significant amount of concrete in its back paws, according to a source close to the investigation. That may indicate the tiger used its back claws to help push it up the grotto wall.”
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