Soldier kills zoo's tiger in Baghdad

Southeast Missourian | AP

[Conservababe]

Soldier kills zoo's tiger in Baghdad

The Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A U.S. soldier shot and killed a tiger at the Baghdad zoo after it bit another soldier who had reached through the bars of its cage to feed it, a zoo security guard said Saturday.

The soldiers had been drinking beer when they entered the zoo Thursday night after it closed, said the guard, Zuhair Abdul-Majeed.

"He was drunk," Abdul-Majeed said of the bitten soldier.

After the man was bit, the other American shot the tiger three times in the head and killed it, Abdul-Majeed said.

It was impossible to reach the U.S. military spokesman's office because the telephones have not worked for three days.

The zoo reopened July 20, three months after Baghdad was captured by the Americans.

It had 1.5 million visitors in 2001 but hit hard times more recently. Saddam Hussein closed it for renovation last year, and it was scheduled to reopen on April 7 with a $27 million facelift.

Instead, on that day, American troops were on the outskirts of Baghdad, and Iraqi fighters had booted the zookeepers from the park, setting up defensive positions among the cages.

When zoo workers returned a week later, some animals lay dead in their cages, others had escaped when mortar rounds blasted open the bars, and yet others had been looted.

Some wild animals roamed the park freely, including a bear that mauled and partially ate three civilians, and three lions that were shot to death when they tried to pounce on a contingent of invading American soldiers.

Since then, the surviving animals have been nursed back to health, and more animals have been brought in from a small private zoo across town and from the private zoos found in the palaces of Saddam's family.

[Dialup Llama]

Does the AP no longer so any independent investigation or does it simply repeat what a certain Abdul-Majeed says?

[Conservababe]

Well, I'm more curious as to why the phones are not working to verify this claim.

[CindyDawg]

Anyone ever find out what branch? I was telling my son (who is overseas about this) and he asked. He is an "almost marine" in the navy.

[Servant of the 9]

This has been reported several times over the last few days.
The guys are Army, are in military custody, and deep Sh!t.

First off, the should have to pay for the Tiger.
Secondly they need to be dishonerably discharged.

What does a Tiger cost these days?

So9

[joesnuffy]

come on ...dishonorable discharged...?
they are just kids ;)

[Sacajaweau]

Don't bite the hand that feeds you!!

Being drunk has nothing to do with it and I doubt he was that drunk. I'll bet these soldiers have been providing the food for these animals on a regular basis while the Iraqi's stood around waiting for them to "take care of that, too".

But if you pay the Iraqis for the lion they didn't care about in the first place, they will be happy.

[Servant of the 9]

come on ...dishonorable discharged...?
they are just kids ;)

Yeah, kids wandering around drunk and armed, shooting anything that pisses them off.

So9

[Conservababe]

Soldier's are not KIDS. They knew better than to get drunk and shoot something, even if it was only a tiger.

[Sacajaweau]

Saddam just spent 27 mill on the Zoo?? And then he had the gaul to show us children struggling in his hospitals because they lacked medicine??

[CindyDawg]

IMO they should be punished for drinking and being where they were not supposed to be and should have to pay for damages, but not be discharged. They caused their own problems but that being said, if I had a gun with me and a tiger was eating someones arm , regardless of why I would have shot it too.

[Bogey78O]

Actually that's how the military goes. Speed on a base and your record gets a big nasty mark. Walk around drunk on base and you're just asking for it. Get drunk and kill a tiger? Good luck getting past that one.

[lodwick]

On the other hand, anyone either drunk enough, or stupid enough, to put his hand into a hungry tiger's cage should not be shocked at the outcome.

Cheers guys.

[CindyDawg]

That's true lol.

[CindyDawg]

I hope we have a before picture of this rare, healthy, well cared for tiger though for the military to use when they try to decide how many tax payers dollars are needed to replace him :')

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Soldiers who can scrounge real beer in Baghdad are too valuable to put out. A Report of Survey finding them pecuniarily liable for the tiger and an Article 15 from the battalion commander should be justice enough.

[Servant of the 9]

if I had a gun with me and a tiger was eating someones arm , regardless of why I would have shot it too.

But he didn't shoot thte tiger for chewing on his buddy. He shot it afterward for revenge, and cause he was drunk.

He should at least have to pay for the tiger, which will probably cost him, several years pay.

If troops are gonna drink, they have to do it someplace safe and unarmed. armed drunks will always cause trouble.

So9

[ChadGore]

I want to send this guy another 12 pack !!

[ChadGore]

Will he get to stuff and mount it ?

[Conservababe]

I couldn't care less of the dead tiger. My concern is our armed soldiers getting drunk and acting like frat boys while in Iraq.

How did they get drunk anyway? Where did they get the booze?