No. There are no government inspections -- even though the SF zoo is likely a municipal operation. The authorizing body is the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
The AZA reviews plans and authorizes certification for a zoo to keep a certain animal. But they do not inspect. Government inspectors have no idea what the standards are/should be and have no idea what to look for.
My adamancy on this issue is a function of having worked with and knowing several zoo managements. By and large, they are a closed profession, a self-serving bureaucracy that will not make waves -- even when something isn't up to standard.
Think government agency.
Circuses take much better care of their animals.
“Circuses take much better care of their animals.”
Maybe some zoos, like the Oakland zoo, but I’ve spent a lot of time at the SF Zoo, and beein on the behind the scenes tours and seen how they take care of the animals there, and I have a really hard time saying that about the SFZoo.
The one thing that I would add to the wall being at fault, which I don’t think, but to be fair, is that there’s a possibility the enclosure was designed for smaller tigers, and this one was exceptionally large (if she’s the one I think it is, she’s smaller than the others they have), or an exceptional jumper, but again, if she’s the one I think she is, they’ve had her a long time, and would have seen it.
There’s no history of the tigers trying the wall. I think the real issue and blame is the scenario that created the need for the tiger to go over that wall.
Having said that, IF the wall is truly 8’ below recommended height, then that’s a HUGE issue, and perhaps it was just luck that this never happened, or kids were better behaved and had more common sense before not to try this.
I don’t believe this was a case of the tiger just deciding to scale the wall and kill 3 people.
Also, the question is, where were the keepers, the ones I’ve seen, who’s job it is to be there at the railing, to answer questions, and keep idiots from dangling body parts in? Is there a staffing issue, that the kids were *able* to provoke the tiger?
I’m trying to be fair, there are good questions the zoo needs to answer, but I think most of the inquiry, at this point, should be on the kids, and WHY the two brothers initially refused to give their names.
The whole story is fishy. One teen dead, and a beautiful creature destroyed. i just don’t think it was cooincidence, or a random tradgedy, and I don’t think it was from malfeasance or laxity from the part of the SF Zoo, and I’d hate to be wrong about that.