A Tiger Attack killed a visitor at the San Francisco Zoo today, then injured two others, before being shot dead by the S.F.P.D. This was the same tiger which nearly cost a zoo keeper her arm last year, after attacking her.

The S.F. Zoo reports it will only be closed for one day "out of respect" for the families of the victims. Doesn't this seem a bit less than an adequate response? Here, someone has been killed by a deadly animal which should have been safely
locked down (or put down last year after the first attack) on Christmas Day, and injured two others, and all the Zoo can do is close its doors for one day? This is clear and present dangerous negligence, in my view, and raises some serious issues as to both the safety and the intelligence of the S.F. Zoo! What do you think?

From what I see, in terms of what they are doing in the zoo itself, they are closing for only one day. But I doubt that that is all they are going to do. They are probably going to still pay compensation etc. to the family.

What exacly would you want the zoo to do in addition? From what I see, the problem is with the tiger, not the zoo. And the tiger is no longer a problem.

A more appropriate reaction, in my view, would have been for them to say, "In order to ensure the safety of our visitors, the S.F. Zoo will be closed until further notice, and a full investigation will be conducted to investigate just how this tragic event took place, and we will take certain measures to ensure that it will never happen again."

Instead of, "We don't know how it happened, but just out of respect, we'll be closing for one day."

pfft. yeah, that's real big of them! I'm just glad I don't live in the Bay area. Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, oh my!

I read through the article again.... the part of where it says the zoo will be closed is not an exact statement and for all you know they may have said that.
The only exact quote in the article is

quote:

A thorough investigation is being undertaken to uncover all the facts and to understand how this tragedy could have occurred.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims' families. The Zoo will be closed tomorrow, December 26.

and it seems to be saying what you were upset about that they didn't say.

Also in terms of investigations, often it can take quite a long time. I don't think it is reasonable to expect the zoo to be closed until the completion of the investigation.

If they can't determine how it happened, how can they possibly hope to prevent it from happening again? For all they know, the cat could have dug a back door hole, someplace! Or, perhaps a faulty mechanical fence. Who knows?

I'm simply saying that their P.R. statement came across as very cold, and did not make one feel very safe and secure about the S.F. Zoo assuming their due responsibilities, which begins with ensuring that it doesn't happen again before reopening their doors.

quote:

Originally posted by Valor D:
A more appropriate reaction, in my view, would have been for them to say, "In order to ensure the safety of our visitors, the S.F. Zoo will be closed until further notice, and a full investigation will be conducted to investigate just how this tragic event took place, and we will take certain measures to ensure that it will never happen again."

Agree with you 100% that would have been the best thing

Not clear up the Mess and make some more bucks Next day!!

I think a Boycott is called for, until they get their house in Order

""If they can't determine how it happened, how can they possibly hope to prevent it from happening again? For all they know, the cat could have dug a back door hole, someplace! Or, perhaps a faulty mechanical fence. Who knows?"

Any escape from anywhere other than the front of the enclosure has already been ruled out. The tiger got over the wall, by leaping or climbing. Police are still examining evidence.

"I think a Boycott is called for, until they get their house in Order"

And I think that judgment should wait until the facts come out. If, as some have speculated, one of the victims was taunting the tiger and had his leg hanging over the restraining wall, the tiger could have easily jumped, grabbed the leg, and climbed out. If that turns out to be the case, you two are blaming the zoo for the stupidity of its customers. People shouldn't be surprised when a wild animal acts like a wild animal.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by DorianGreyed:
If that turns out to be the case, you two are blaming the zoo for the stupidity of its customers. People shouldn't be surprised when a wild animal acts like a wild animal.[/QUOTE

______________________________________________________________________ Hi dg:

Wait until the ACLU gets involved...they will probably demand that all fences,walls and barriers be taken down so that the big "kitties" can roam free.

hippolips

quote:

Originally posted by hippolips:

Wait until the ACLU gets involved...they will probably demand that all fences,walls and barriers be taken down so that the big "kitties" can roam free.

hippolips

Or they might demand that animals like that not be kept in captivity at all. They might start by asking how and why it is that Americans find it easy to keep such animals at home, never mind in zoos.

quote:

Originally posted by hippolips: dg:

Wait until the ACLU gets involved...they will probably demand that all fences,walls and barriers be taken down so that the big "kitties" can roam free.

hippolips

I hope you don't suffer whiplash from that contortion to make a very serious and necessary organization the butt of your personal, ill-directed spite. Perhaps you ought to try and find out what the ACLU does, besides aggravate right wingers.

I was only quick commeting on the other posters reply


But Seriously Did you hear the report About One of those Injured whom its Claimed was Winding up the animal Into a rage by Somehow getting On top of the Fence and swinging their Legs into the enclosure Tiger Goes on Automatinc and Springs at the tempting target,and scrambles over the Fence That sounds the most plausible theory to Me

If they wanted to keep them as Nature intended Here in the UK We have Lions at Longleat
Founded in 1966 Oh Theres a good Picture of FredPulis House here >>> www.longleat.co.uk/about-longleat.html
and just down the road from me theres Knowsley Safari Park founded in 1971, and In all the years they have been open There have been No Incidents

Are there any establishments Like this in the States? There is lots of land where they could set up one of these, and the anti zoo people will be happy

"But Seriously Did you hear the report About One of those Injured whom its Claimed was Winding up the animal Into a rage by Somehow getting On top of the Fence and swinging their Legs into the enclosure..."

Why, yes, I did, Bedstor. That's probably why I mentioned it.


"If they wanted to keep them as Nature intended Here in the UK We have Lions at Longleat..."


Are they the rare English Lions that died out centuries ago?

quote:

Originally posted by bedstor:
If they wanted to keep them as Nature intended Here in the UK We have Lions at Longleat
Founded in 1966

Ah Longleat; brings back great childhood memories: my three sisters, and I, riding in the back of the Ford Cortina through the lion reserve.
It always rained like crazy, and Mum and Dad chain smoked in the front. Condensation ran down the car windows, so that we had to be continuously wiping them, to get a view of the lions. The lions were difficult to spot anyway, because we always seemed to get there just after feeding time, and they'd be lying behind the trees in a comatose heap.
One of the sisters always had an urgent need to pee, and another would throw up over the rest of us. My Mum would be feeding us biscuits, and urging my dad to wind the window down just a bit, to, 'get the lions attention'. Nothing ever happened...so we drove on to the monkey enclosure, where the baboons usually vandalised the car and, we children, went home happy.

Yes, they have these reserves in the US and Canada, Bedstor.

The zoo is responsible regardless of the patrons' alleged actions. There should have been no way for them to even get close to that wall. I worked several years at the Cincinnati Zoo and visitor safety was always at the top of all priority lists.

You can't completely protect humans from their own stupidity. The only way to have a completely safe zoo with dangerous animals is to drop a camera into their native habitat.

It seem like the Cincy Zoo has a similar enclosure for some of its big cats.

Interestingly enough, at the Cincinnati Zoo, while the tigers are in walled, moated outdoor enclosures, and lions and cheetahs are in big outdoor habitats that are fenced but not roofed, the snow leopards habitats are fully enclosed by heavy chain link, including a chain link roof. I suppose their extreme leaping ability precludes keeping them in a moated enclosue. - http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/zoo-incidents/

So, Kendor, are you saying that if someone climbs (or jumps) that fence, and gets into the cats' enclosure, it is the zoo's fault, not the idiot who gets mauled?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DorianGreyed,

According to this News Update, the escape has been deemed due to the fact that the fence was too low, and the tiger was able to climb over it. The S.F. Zoo may lose their license over this, the article reports. There is no mention of anyone "climbing on the fence" aside from the tiger. Also, the visitor who was killed was a 17-year-old minor, who had his throat slashed by the animal.

Earlier reports stated that the police found a shoeprint on the fence keeping visitors from getting too close to the animal's fence. If this is anything like most zoos I have seen either in person or in clips, this is a low fence that really only serves as a marker. Statements were made that the police were loking at the shoes of the victims to see if there was a match. Given what is known as factual now, it is as I said before, that the cat got out through the front. He may have jumped up to the wall, he may have scaled the wall, and he may have jumped up and grabbed a leg, and that kept him on the wall long enough to scale the rest of the way. In other words, exactly how the tiger got over the wall is not yet clear, and may never be. But if one report was accurate, that the two survivors refused to cooperate with police in the investigation, I have to wonder about their reasons.

So far, I see nothing that contradicts my first post; in fact, you were the one supplying all the ways that the tiger could have gotten out. I said at first that the tiger got out the front.

I am still waiting for all the facts to come out before passing judgment.

Valor D, as far as I see from the news, the zoo has not yet reopened, and the ealiest re-opening day as of now is january 3rd.

Two questions I wondered about as I read the articles.
# 1, the hieght of the wall was lower then recommended. How high was the recommended height, and how many other zoo's are also below the recommended height.Also, it was lower then recommended height, but was it also lower then minimum height?

#2. I read that the parents of the boy killed found out about it by way of the news, and not by way of zoo officials/police. Was this purposeful, or an accidental slip?

quote:

Originally posted by DorianGreyed:
So, Kendor, are you saying that if someone climbs (or jumps) that fence, and gets into the cats' enclosure, it is the zoo's fault, not the idiot who gets mauled?

Yes, that's what I'm saying. There should be absolutely no way any idiot could get into a wild animal's enclosure, or for any animal to escape same.

Among other safety precautions at Cincy, they use shear space and electrified perimeter fencing between enclosures and public fencing to keep the animals and patrons separate. I know this first hand, as I have been zapped by it on more than one occasion. (I was aslo bitten on the elbow by an Alpaca while repairing its water trough, but that's another story).

Perhaps the Cheapest way of preventing this in Future and It keeps both parties apart is to Install a 250V electic cattle wire on top of the Pen (or whatever voltage is used?)
I've been shocked a few times and they look so Harmless First time @ 9 in Ireland Wondering why Cattle were not straying onto the road on an open Field All You see is 1 strand Of wire
on top of metal posts 18 inches high...and a clicking Metal box..and I touched it!

Shock Like a Cars HT cable (Like somebodies clicked a Switch and your tummy and arm both Jerk involuntarily )

Have been "shocked" many times since though Its the Amperage that does the damage not the Voltage...WOW and/or FrankVan will confirm (Electrical People)