Zoos know that jerks are going to throw stuff at the chimps, whistle at the tigers, etc. The SF zoo also knew that it had a tiger that attacked a zoo keeper last year with NO provocation (she was feeding it and dropped something) and the tiger was therefore dangerous and special care should have been taken. And now it looks like the zoo didn’t even meet the minimum standards...not good.
Normally, I think people suing the city (for slipping when they get off a bus, for example) are gold-diggers with no justification. But I lived in SF for years and have family out there, and I can tell you, carelessness is practically a hallmark of SF, in every respect, and this, to me, looks like San Francisco carelessness.
How would you feel if you learned the kids planned the whole thing a couple of days in advance? I mean, what if the idea of going to this zoo after it closed and dangling your feet above the tiger was a stunt or dare that quite a few kids in the San Francisco/San Jose area were aware of, and these three guys discussed it on the phone two or three days earlier and decided to go on Christmas day and do it? Would you still award them millions?
If a zookeeper is careless enough to put their hands within grabbing distance of a tiger at meal time, the zoo probably isn't going to put that tiger down since its behavior isn't out of the norm.