Poor Tiger

[edwards]

Today, I am mostly sad that a tiger was shot dead after attacking/mauling some people in a zoo. It seems silly that the animal couldn't be sedated. If i had been mauled by the animal, I'm somewhat worried that I'd be inclined to try and take the bullet for it :(

Tigers. They kill people. Big surprise. I can't help suspecting that three youths aged 19/20 were utterly innocent regarding getting a mauling...

Comments

[faerieevenstar.livejournal.com]

That made me so sad too. I know I should feel sad for the guy that died; but the tiger was just being a tiger... :(

[yuitsu.livejournal.com]

They found it? They didn't say that on the report I saw, just a bit about the enclosure, a past attack on a keeper, the zoo being closed because they were at fault etc. I'm wondering quite how it managed to get out over a 15foot high wall..

[edwards.livejournal.com]

15 foot doesn't sound like a lot compared to a tiger... how high up can cats jump relative to their own height?

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

Per the radio bit I heard this morning, at least one youth was about as innocent as is possible for youths to be: the one being mauled at the time the tiger was shot (and therefore lived) was having a coffee at a snack stand on his way out of the zoo.

The real question in all of this is how or by whom the tiger got out in the first place.

And the trouble with tranquilizer darts is that they don't work like they do in films. Anything that's gentle enough not to kill the beast outright is going to take minutes to set in, which would be plenty of time to finish killing that fellow and see whom else is around.

[ashbet]

*nodnod* Agreed -- I don't know the circumstances of the other attacks, but the tiger was shot while mauling someone in the zoo cafe.

I wonder if they'll ever figure out howinhell the tiger got OUT? The other three in the cage were still behind closed doors . . . hopefully they have some kind of video surveillance.

I agree that the tiger was just being a tiger, and that it's a damn shame it had to be shot, but since it was in the process of killing someone . . . it's a tough decision. And, yeah, tranquilizers would NOT just knock it out instantly -- the last guy could have easily been killed and half-eaten before the tiger started conking out :/

-- A *sad on all accounts*

[edwards.livejournal.com]

They didn't put that bit in the reports in the UK. It has to be said that if I heard that 3 "youths" were mauled by a tiger here, I'd automatically assume they had managed to put themselves in a position whereby the tiger COULD maul them. Usually I credit Americans with more common sense, but I can't help wondering if those killed were in some way part of how it got out...

I know they're slow, I didn't have the information that the tiger was actually mauling someone when shot, but I still think it's terrible that they had to shoot it.

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

Completely reasonable assumption; that's what USUALLY happens to make someone get et. A nearby zoo lost a grizzly bear to a cage invasion, and the general opinion was that the police officer shot the wrong critter.

[edwards.livejournal.com]

Eeek. I think I'd rather share a cage with a tiger...

SF Zoo mission statement

[princealbert.livejournal.com]

At the San Francisco Zoo, it's our mission to connect people with wildlife, inspire caring for nature and advance conservation action.

[malcygoff.livejournal.com]

A terrible shame, Tigers are rare enough creatures and any needless death of one (or of any living creature really) is something to be mourned.

the fence being only 3/4 of the height it was meant to be is what is being blamed. I think that the Zoo's defence of "but it passed inspection ok" was a bit lame, then I tend to be of the opinion that people should put their hands up to mistakes.

[kest]

yeah, it makes me sad too. it's still one of the top news stories here a week later, of course, and it doesn't sound like they're any closer to knowing what happened, but they definitely suspect that the 'youths' had something to do with it.

[edwards.livejournal.com]

I suppose that the real answer is somewhere in a tiger's belly...

I need a picture of Morticia as an icon. Then the cats can have a staring contest. Did you have a good Christmas, New Year, btw? I looked on MSN a couple of times to say Merry Christmas!

[kest]

well, it seems that there are a few witnesses, so I suspect the truth will out. I had a lovely christmas and new year's, thank you, and I'm sorry I missed you online. I took my nokia n800 down to my parents with me rather than a real computer, and I think I've only loaded AIM in there so far and not MSN. I will have to rectify that.