Tiger kills man at San Francisco Zoo

[RiverRat]

Tell them they're fat and that their stripes are uneven.... jk


Seriously, I feel badly for the for the humans who were killed and injured and I also feel badly for the tiger.

Seriously! I can't get this vision out of my head of a person standing there going Nannie Nannie Boo Boo - You Can't Get Me while sticking their tongue out!

 

[Buzz Mills]

The three men — one of them 19 years old and the others in their early 20s — were attacked just after 5 p.m. Tuesday on the east end of the 125-acre zoo grounds near Ocean Beach, police spokesman Steve Mannina said. They suffered “pretty aggressive bite marks,” Mannina said.

The two injured men, ages 19 and 23, were upgraded to stable condition Wednesday at San Francisco General Hospital after undergoing surgery to have their wounds cleaned and closed, said surgeon Rochelle Dicker. They suffered deep bites and claw cuts on their heads, necks, arms and hands.

Dicker said they were shaken up emotionally and would remain hospitalized for the day, but that because of their youth they would make a full recovery.

The San Francisco medical examiner had not been able to identify the dead man, investigator Tim Hellman said Wednesday. The man did not have any identification and no one had called asking about him, according to Hellman.

No identification seems a litle strange; perhaps the young man who was killed
had a vehicle parked somewhere in the area of the zoo, with his wallet in it.

 

[Mygirlsadie]

I think about this possibility every time I go to the zoo. I always think how if these animals really wanted to they could escape and get us...Yes I am even paranoid at the zoo! I really don't think a ''higher up'' left a door open for the tiger to escape I would assume the other tigers would of escaped as well then and they didnt.

 

[ceeaura]

Such a sad incident for the humans and the tiger

I went to the circus once when I was a teenager.They brought some of the big cats out into a cage.Guess you would call them stage hands where walking around on the outside of the cage with these long sticks trying to get the cats in postion I guess.Well this one guy kept poking at one of the white tigers.He got up were he was suppose to be and sat down(the tiger) the guy turned his back and I saw the tiger stand up and his tail stick straight up....I knew what was coming nudged my friend and told her to watch and then the cat sprayed that guy good!!!! he ran like he had been shot and someone else told that guy "that he deserved worse then getting peed on".The tigers handlers came out because of the commotion and got filled in with what happened the stage guy stormed off the crowed cheered and we saw that guy no more.So guess he got a double dose for being an a$$.Peed on and fired hahaha the jerk!

 

[MeoW333]

I feel bad for all wild animals who are caged. After her attack of the zookeeper, they should have arranged for her to go back to a sanctuary in the wilds near wherever is normal for Siberian tigers. I would not be surprised if the young men were taunting her, whether on a dare or not. The tigress is in no way to blame, as she shouldn't have been caged in the first place. Prison for wild animals who have done nothing wrong.. and where were the zoo officials with tranq guns while all this was happening? I'm surprised the zoo was open if it was dark out. If they're gonna have to be open, keep it daylight hours.

 

[JanetElaine]

Just heard on the news that the man killed is 17 year old Carlos Souza (not certain about spelling of last name).

 

[Buzz Mills]

The boy that was killed was 17. I still haven't heard his name yet. I still wonder if these three boys were together. The other two injured boys were 19, and 23.

The dead visitor was identified as 17-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr. of San Jose.

The two injured men, ages 19 and 23, were upgraded to stable condition at San Francisco General Hospital after surgery. They suffered deep bites and claw wounds on their heads, necks, arms and hands, said Dr. Rochelle Dicker, a surgeon. She said they were expected to make a full recovery.

 

[Buzz Mills]

Human role not ruled out in tiger attack - it's now a Crime Scene

SAN FRANCISCO - The big cat exhibit at the San Francisco Zoo was cordoned off as a crime scene Wednesday as investigators tried to determine whether a 300-pound Siberian tiger that killed a visitor escaped from its high-walled pen on its own or got help from someone, inadvertent or otherwise.

Police shot the animal to death after a Christmas Day rampage that began when the tiger escaped from an enclosure surrounded by what zoo officials said are an 18-foot wall and a 20-foot moat. Two other visitors were severely mauled.

Police Chief Heather Fong said the department has opened a criminal investigation to "determine if there was human involvement in the tiger getting out or if the tiger was able to get out on its own." Police said they have not ruled anything out, including whether the escape was the result of carelessness or a deliberate act. Fong said officers were gathering evidence from the tiger's enclosure as well as accounts from witnesses and others.

One zoo official insisted the tiger did not get out through an open door and must have climbed or leaped out. But Jack Hanna, former director of the Columbus Zoo and a frequent guest on TV, said such a leap would be an unbelievable feat, and "virtually impossible." "There's something going on here. It just doesn't feel right to me," he said. "It just doesn't add up to me."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071226/ap_on_re_us/tiger_escapes

 

[Buzz Mills]

The two injured men, 19- and 23-year-old brothers from San Jose, were upgraded to stable condition at San Francisco General Hospital after surgery.

The dead visitor was identified as 17-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr. of San Jose.

The odds are looking better that the young men were all together.

The first attack happened right outside the tiger's enclosure _ the victim died at the scene. Another was about 300 yards away, in front of the zoo cafe. The police chief said the animal was mauling the man, and when officers yelled at it to stop, it turned toward them and they opened fire.

Only then did they see the third victim, police said.

About 20 visitors were in the zoo when the attacks happened about an hour before the 6 p.m. closing time, officials said. Employees and visitors were told to take shelter when zoo officials learned of the attacks, and some employees locked themselves inside buildings as they had been instructed to do if an animal escaped.

 

[philamena]

Something about this story smells.....we're not being told the whole story imo.

 

[Buzz Mills]

Something about this story smells.....we're not being told the whole story imo.

I'm betting that the SF Police suspect that the three young men possibly did something that promoted this attack. The news hasn't yet said that the young men were all together, but I am betting they were.

The two brothers 19, and 23, were attacked just after the 5 p.m. closing time outside the zoo's Terrace Cafe. About 20 visitors were in the zoo when the attacks happened about an hour before the 6 p.m. closing time??

From the szoo website: The San Francisco Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 365 days a year, including Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

 

[JanetElaine]

This story reminded me of this (with pic of gorilla wandering around):

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/18/europe/EU-GEN-Netherlands-Escaped-Gorilla.php#end_main

A 180 kilogram (400 pound) gorilla escaped from its enclosure and ran amok in a Rotterdam zoo Friday, biting one woman, dragging her around, and causing scenes of panic among dozens of families before being subdued, zoo officials said.

The woman he attacked had been taunting him for weeks, making faces at him and she said 'he smiled back at me'. Gorillas don't smile though... they show their teeth when they feel threatened. He went straight for this woman. She'd been looking him straight in the eye too, and had been warned by employees of the zoo to cut it out.

ETA close up of the gorilla http://www.flickr.com/photos/pg-photography/1576247444/

 

[i.b.nora]

On KGO TV News tonight, they said the three victims DID know each other.
I hope the two surviving ones tell what REALLY happened.

 

[JanetElaine]

I'm betting that the SF Police suspect that the three young men possibly did something that promoted this attack. The news hasn't yet said that the young men were all together, but I am betting they were.

Yeah, me too.

 

[MeoW333]

I'll bet those boys were taunting the poor tigress for her to have attached all three of them. It's a shame she had to be shot and killed. If it is the case they were taunting her, i feel no sympathy whatsoever for the "victims". Boys that age should know better. It's doubtful they'll come out and admit to taunting her. Maybe they'll say the dead boy did it.

 

[Buzz Mills]

On KGO TV News tonight, they said the three victims DID know each other.
I hope the two surviving ones tell what REALLY happened.

That tiger gave the two brothers a chance to flee. before she pursued them. They probably ran toward the Terrace Cafe, and I'll bet it had just closed, or was closed for the day.

I found a map for the zoo, and enlarged it, and was able to see the big cat cages and where the Terrace Cafe was:

sfzoo.org

 

[Texana]

Maybe they did, (not understanding what they were up against) but the tiger had attacked a zookeeper last year, mauling her arm severely. There seems to be a general misunderstanding of what the tiger's nature was, doesn't there?

And regardless, it horrifies me that the tiger didn't seem to be actually missed until they spotted it next to the victims.

 

[southcitymom]

Maybe they did, (not understanding what they were up against) but the tiger had attacked a zookeeper last year, mauling her arm severely. There seems to be a general misunderstanding of what the tiger's nature was, doesn't there?

And regardless, it horrifies me that the tiger didn't seem to be actually missed until they spotted it next to the victims.

I agree with all of this!

 

[chiperoni]

Maybe they did, (not understanding what they were up against) but the tiger had attacked a zookeeper last year, mauling her arm severely. There seems to be a general misunderstanding of what the tiger's nature was, doesn't there?
And regardless, it horrifies me that the tiger didn't seem to be actually missed until they spotted it next to the victims.

yes, according to local tv news here in SF the zookeeper lost her arm and that the attack was definitely unprovoked. She was publicly feeding the tigers like she always did and the attack came out of nowhere.

 

[dark_shadows]

I agree. I feel terrible for the young man that lost his life, but I wish the tiger had been managed correctly by the zoo. She was, after all, a wild animal. What tiger isn't going to attack a human if they get out of their pen?

...I saw a picture of Tatiana and she was stunningly gorgeous. Magnificent.

eta: here she is:

My dearest IdahoMom,:blowkiss:
I thought that OCHA set regulations when the incident with Tatiana and the Zoo keeper happened. Link to article about the Zoo keeper;
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/21/BAG43QJSON44.DTL

Do you know if there is a link to the OSHA report about the required saftey procedures pertaining to Tatiana?

So much Love and Respect for you,
dark_shadows