Is it just me, or is the zoo trying to divert attention from the fact they built a tiger enclosure that a tiger could escape from?
“Red Eye” on Fox News reported that the men had slingshots. Have you seen anything else about that?
Does anyone doubt the tiger had been taunted?
I guess signs saying something on the order of “Do not feed or molest” fail to communicate to the zoo visitor the serious consequences of flouting that prohibition.
I guess those kids just didn’t see it coming.
Taunting’s irrelevant. Build a higher wall.
This animal was traumatized. His relatives must sue the deepest pockets.
John Edwards will soon be looking for those same deep pockets to stick his slimey hand into.
Siberian Tiger...
Good Kitty
I'm with ya. Screw these 'victims'.
Anyone who is dumb enough to mess with a the BIGGEST Cat in the world deserves what they get.
One ref 'for teachers' says Bengal Tigers are the biggest cat with a male topping out at 500 lbs, but male Siberian Tigers can go to up 600# and are taller. So much for 'teacher reference' material.
If it turns out they did provoke the tiger into attacking, does the deceased man automatically win the Darwin award for 2007?
Sorry, that was badly done of me. The deceased supposedly was trying to save his friend, so I guess we should just denigrate those who lived.
I think the time and place for zoos has come and gone. Many people aren’t respectful towards the animals or even the other patrons. At the zoo here in DC, half of the patrons belong in the cages based on their behavior. Why subject the animals to this?
I suspect that these men did taunt the tiger. But I don’t think it should have been a capital crime. No matter what they did, the tiger should not have been able to escape.
I don’t think it matters whether the tiger was taunted. He escaped. Someone didn’t do their job.
Carolyn
The zoo is at fault. It did not protect its patrons, or the citizens of the city, or its employees, or the tiger itself which is now dead.
Taunt or no taunt, the tiger should not be able to get over the wall. And the zoo should protect the tiger against abuse anyway.
“The brothers tried to get help for Sousa after attempts to stop the tiger failed, attorney Mark Geragos said.”
They say they tried to stop the tiger from killing their friend. OK.... let’s proceed.
“The animal first mauled Sousa and Paul Dhaliwal about 4:30 p.m., the attorney said, according to AP. While Sousa was seriously hurt, Paul Dhaliwal escaped, and he and his brother ran 300 yards to a zoo cafe where they had earlier eaten.”
“But the siblings were denied entry to the cafe because the zoo was closing, the AP reported. At that point the brothers lost sight of the tiger. The brothers then saw a female security guard who appeared “diffident” when she was informed of the escaped tiger, Geragos said, according to AP. “
OK. One of these guys claims to have been mauled by the tiger. He and a friend run to the cafe, and are turned away, even though he is supposedly bloody.
Then they see a security guard who is ‘diffident’ (whatever) , even though he is supposedly bloody.
Yeah. I believe those young men’s stories. (NOT).
If these boys were ‘taunting’ the tiger ; ok, they should have been ejected from the zoo. They should not have been subject to death and maiming. Bottom line; the tiger escaped from its “escape proof” enclosure.
One witness recalled that one of the victims had got the tiger by the tail, it was plain to see!
I was also struck by the fact that the police must have pretty good firepower there, which was a very good thing under the circumstances, shame to lose such a beautiful animal, don't know what it takes to kill a tiger, we have had incidents with dogs where it has taken several shots by the police from a 9mm to drop them.
One report aired in my area said that the police found slingshots on the victims. Plural. Empty vodka bottle in auto they were driving.,
Who in the world takes a slingshot to a zoo?
These 3 creeps were looking for trouble. They found it.
The tiger is geting blamed for something that never should have happened.