“I don’t mean to tar all zoos. But a deficient enclosure that was not up to AZA standards clearly places the ultimate responsibility in one set of hands — the SF zoo management.
They had to know the wall’s height was deficient. That is their profession, their business! So, they were either ignorant or lackadaisical.
Yes, the kids might have provoked the incident. But two lives were lost and two were injured because, ultimately. the zoo was negligent. Criminally so.
The 16’4” standard applies to all tigers except, perhaps, Sumatran tigers (which are quite small and usually kept in roofed cages). And there’s no way it wouldn’t apply to a Siberian.
The fact that the tiger hadn’t tried to scale the wall before (that we know of) is irrelevant. See #118.”
I accept what you’re saying, it’s just hard to believe, after personally interacting with the staff there. Perhaps it was something the keepers knew was an issue, and the management ignored it, as the fix was too expensive, or the money was tied up for the future renovations, and because it had never happened before, it should be okay to wait. I’m trying to be fair, and accepting that what you’re saying could very well be true.
I’ve decided it’s best to wait and see what unfolds.
I’m also waiting. I think that 12’ thing has to mean something other than the viewing area wall. That just seems absurdly short. Even the back walls, which seem shorter, have some wire fencing.