Thank you for your updates, Adam….and thank you for this blog. I’m at my parents house in OK right now, so I’m not able to leave FoxNews on my TV 24/7 like I do at home. This is what’s keeping me up to speed. You’re doing an awesome job of letting us know what’s going on. Thank you.

As for this situation. This is a tragedy. The loss of human life….no matter the cause (whether natural or from stupidity) is a tragedy…simply because it was not God’s intention when He created the world. However, the young men, should taunting be deemed a cause for the tiger to act out, did not respect this tiger or the environment in which she lived and was safe. Yes, she did do what came naturally to her….fighting for her right to be free and safe in her home, but in no way do I feel that these boys ‘deserved’ to die, as some have stated. That, my friends, is sad.

There seems to be some confusion by the general public as to whether the three victims ‘deserved to be attacked’ if they were taunting the tiger. I’m no animal expert, but I have spent enough time in nature to know that a wild animal ( and a caged tiger is still a wild animal ) does not know the difference between being taunted or being attacked. Only humans know the difference between the two. So the next time you decide to “taunt” an animal, remember that in the animal’s mind you are actually attacking it……..and you must be willing to accept the consequences of doing so……whatever those may be.

Adam – that is exactly what I thought as soon as I heard the boys’ ages. And the fact that they were together. Don’t know what they were thinking!! City kids who thought they were dealing with some street cat?? Sad that one of them lost his life but these boys were playing with fire! The two survivors will have to fill in the blanks for the investigators.

Bhutto killed….. uh oh….. I wonder whats going to happen next????

I can foresee what happens next. The human victims and their families will sue because there was not security right on top of them to tell them what their own consciences and common sense should have. I sincerely hope that the zoo will take up the tiger’s cause and counter-sue for the loss of the tiger’s life. It was only doing what came naturally. Unfortunately, it was forced to live in an environment that was unnatural for it. And why? For human entertainment! Shame on those boys and shame on us.

Avi………..I think this tiger story just went to the back burner.

What is the working theory on this attack? I’ve heard conflicting opinions about the tiger’s actions.

Interviews with Jack Hanna…animal expert. Really? Somebody please save us from ourselves!

I will be curious to know what will happen with the investigation in relation to the shoe print. Whose foot will fit that shoe print and will they find out whose shoes they were? Should be conclusive for terrible misconduct on the young mens part if it is found that the shoe print matches one of their shoes.
I am thankful that endangered species are being saved, even if it means containment.
The Darwinian Law of Survival of the Fittest suggests that the lesser intellect didn’t survive.

Is it thought that one of the boys went over the fence to taunt the tiger and then got killed when the tiger followed him back over the fence? I can’t really get a visual of what took place.

Shelley…….if the Darwinian theory is correct, than how come Bill O’ still leads the in the ratings for his time slot?

Good point…… lol

Is Adam still at the zoo or is he on the way to Pakistan?

Micheal…. maybe he on his way to cover the death of some other powerful tiger in Pakistan

I am really disturbed by this incident. A young man was killed and an animal that is endangered was also killed. The loss of human life is tragic, however the tiger is a wild animal and should not be demonized for her actions. Young adults need to learn how to respect all wildlife as we share this planet with them. It sickens me to think of the possibility that these men went to the zoo and taunted those animals. Perhaps the zoo should employ more people to float around the different exhibits to make sure that zoo patrons act appropriately and if they see people that are incapable of appreciating the animals, to have them expelled immediately.

agree with Pat, expelled imediately and permanently.

Pat…….although it seems logical, I don’t agree with employing more people to “float around” to control the zoo’s patrons. IMHO, we must educate our population better when it comes to plain ol’e common sense…….that begins with better parenting and better teaching techniques. I know some will argue that “boys will be boys”………great, than let tigers be tigers.

Oh boy.

I do NOT think the Zoo should be sued over this.
People need to assume responsibility for their own actions.

The Zoo can only do so much to protect the public. This kids were behaving badly.
They caused this, in my opinion.

A valuable lesson to others who might try this.

I knew when the first reports came out with the age of the young men, that somehow they were responsible for the MURDER of this tiger.

I hope the two remianing are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

We have lost a beautiful and rare animal in Tatiana.

I can not feel sorry for the loss an injuries to cruel and viscious people. Darwin won out in one case here.

The “loss of human life” is not tragic. Seeing as how this moron will probably win the Darwin Award for relieving the planet of his idiotic gene pool, it’s actually pretty funny. The real tragedy is that they had to shoot and kill a perfectly fine rare Siberian tiger because these half-wits were taunting her. It’s also sad that the zoo had to close and all the kids didn’t get to see the reindeer thanks to these fine examples of humanity.

If anything, the zoo should sue these “survivors” and “selfless martyrs” for the $250k in upgrades they recently did, and for the loss of a fine animal life. Lesson learned, for those with higher IQs: there’s a REASON they call them “wild animals.” Because they are. Show some damned respect.

In Warsaw zoo in Poland they have a big sign outside the elephant enclosure “Warning: Elephants Will Throw Dung”
When i was there no one taunted the elephants, most people move quickly past to watch at a safe distance.

If only tigers were as good a shot as elephants.

Karen,

Well said.

I completely agree with you.

Michael, to answer your question earlier. The blood trail from the fence lead to the two boys who were found by the tiger. Those two boys were injured. The one that died was found right outside the tiger enclosure.

This is a sad event. I agree with Jennifer in saying that no one deserves to die. Sure, there are consequences to pay for their actions, but to say that they deserved to die is a bit much.

I just hope that the investigation can turn over enough evidence proving what actually happened, so the zoo will not be wrongly sued over this.

This is the exact scenario that my wife and I talked about Wednesday – these kids were most likely screwing around and one of them got killed. If, and I say IF, this is true I hope charges of negligent homicide are brought against the two survivors for the death of their friend. This goes beyond stupid – if true. I’m sure the parents will sue, even if it comes out that they encroached on the Tiger’s habitat, because in today’s society – no one is EVER to blame for their actions.

I can’t help but think of a little saying my husband says at times like this:

Thin the herd.

Young people do stupid things and some of them die in the process. That is extremely regrettable! However, the tiger was just having a natural reaction to its given circumstances. It shouldn’t have died, if at all preventable.

How that cat got out is still the BIG question. If it and others are capable of leaping the moat and going over that fence, then something is amiss with that setup.

BLAMING THE VICTIM!!!

I cannot believe that the victim is being blamed for provoking the tiger!

This is just the zoo’s attempt to gain public sympathy and a weak attempt to avoid any impending lawsuits.

Come on people what happened is that the zoo was unable to provide proper protection to visitors from large predators. I do not care if the tiger was taunted, insulted and shown food to eat, it should have NOT been able to breach the security of its habitat.

So are they saying now that the female caretaker who was mauled during a feeding demonstration by the same tiger in full view of visitors now somehow responsible for her mauling????

Wake up! Zoos display many dangerous animals and they are responsible for providing protection to the viewing public. Blaming the victims no matter what the situation is irresponsible and dangerous. I guess the zoo needs to post a sign, “ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK, WE PROVIDE MINIMAL PROTECTION, ANYTHING YOU DO WILL BE VIEWED AS PROVOCATION IF YOU ARE ATTACKED – DO NOT MOVE SCRATCH, POINT OR EVEN LOOK AT THE ANIMALS OR YOU COULD BE KILLED”.

Ron writes like someone who abuses animals and doesn’t understand why it’s wrong.

Just saw your report on FoxNews, Adam. Again…great job. Don’t ya love it when the family interview just doesn’t come up right away…and your left standing there….waiting.

And to clarify to avoid any confusion….there are two Jennifer’s posting on this thread. I will add to my screen name, if I’m able….(I am the Jennifer with the first post of the thread)

IF it is true that the kid had crossed over the public barrier and onto the inside fence w/ his legs dangling … (I hear the tiger used him as a ladder of sorts) Didn’t they find his shoe… blood…
sticks and pinecones in the moat???

If so…
then the 17 yr old caused this whole tragic event …

the Zoo can’t anticipate that someone would do something so stupid. Why were they still in the zoo if it had closed at 5pm?

I just saw a statement from the parents …. I’m just shaking my head…
it appeared to me that they totally dismissed the actions of their 17 yr old …

lawsuit coming….

I think the zoo should sue the parents for the stupid move on their kids part…
causing the death of the tiger.

At the same time… it is very tragic that the boy was killed… I am sorry for the family….
but … you just can’t do such a stupid thing and not expect consequences.

Did anyone just now catch Adam doing his spot on the news??? He ran a live statement from the Father of the kid that died. The father stated that it “doesn’t matter, you can throw rocks, stones, whatever, it doesn’t matter, an animal should not be able to escape.” Unbelieveable, obviously, the kid got his brains from his father!!!!

Guaranteed, the father will sue!!! I feel the only people that should be sued over this is the 3 kids as they created this whole situation because of their stupidity, and caused a beautiful animal to be killed because she was doing what was natural. How about manslaughter charges??? If one of the surviving brothers was driving a car and got into a wreck and his kid died, would he be saying it doesn’t matter – you can drink, do drugs, whatever, it doesn’t matter, you shouldn’t be able to get into a accident.

Sad, Sad, story

Hey Ron…………that’s the sign they use at the entrance to the peniteniaries……..of coaurse they lose more “animals” than any zoo I know of.

Karen T – thank you for your welcome to the blog note. Very sweet of you

Thanks Ron. I won’t even look at the animals the next time i go to the zoo.

Ron is way out in left field – I agree with LD and John – Wonder if he abuses humans along with animals

Would also like to know which of the 3 boys he is related to as he seems to have the same brain capacity – no common sense

LOL Tom… theres always nathional geograhpic and the fast food at the zoos … ooo but wait the tiger reached the fast food venue at the zoo maybe a warning sign there too ? ” eat and sit at your own risk” lol

IF the tiger was released from its cage by any of these victims, they are responsible for more than just the death of their friend. From what was originally reported there were 25 (?) other people still in the zoo when they found out the tiger was loose. Instead of being awarded money in a lawsuit, they would need to be in court for another reason. IF it is true, they endangered the lives of truly innocent bystanders. I wonder the laws are in a situation like this?

Thanks Adam for keeping us updated on this story– because I have heard different stories here–

Two of the kids, I heard, were at a Cafe when the tiger attacked them- and the cafe was not close to the tiger’s home—

If there was some taunting, this puts a whole new perspective on this awful story- I was led to believe the tiger went up the wall– she was born in captivity and therefore, she was not afraid of humans–

So I am curious as to what the facts are–

Isn’t it awful about Bhutto in Pakistan? She was Greta’s friend—

I wonder if assumption of risk plays in here–legally- if you taunt an animal you are assuming the risk?

I know we’re covering the tiger story here, but you’re right about how awfull the assasination of Bhutto is, Susan…………..it could have very big, and I’m afraid, very bad implications……not only in that region, but globally as well.

It is awful about Bhutto. Two teenage girls have lost their mother. I am 37 years old….and the thought of losing my mother brings tears to my eyes. I can’t imagine the pain a teenager would experience.

May God grant them peace as they work their way through the sorrow.

Adam, Thanks for the map. It’d be interesting to see a time line on the events and the path the tiger (and) took to the cafe. If it followed a blood trail it should be simple for investigators to figure out. If the tiger was. As a visitor of the Zoo and by looking at the maps, there are a couple of routs to the cafe. How much time was there between the Souza killing, the attack at the cafe and the tiger being shot? When will we hear from a single eye-witness, and the 911 calls that were placed? And what’s this about one or more of the victims helped the cat escape? Does this refer to using the guy whose leg may have been used as a ladder of sorts. The victims helpings seems hard to fathom.
Also, if anyone knows about big cats, this tiger was out to kill not just defend! It slashed the dudes throat open and once big cats make a kill they either stay with it or drag it somewhere (like stage left…remember Seigfried and Roy?) This animal was on a mission, it just killed, left and went hunting and would have been put down even if it was tranquilized. This action is not typical for a big cat. Yes, these guys were idiots, however the Zoo knows how dumb some people can be and how animals can turn on a dime, especially when provoked. They should have done more with the improvements earlier this year. I think its the Brooklyn Zoo that uses a non-lethal wire fence as a final stop gap. Since the city and zoo will be sued for wrongful death, (the board of sups have already said they will likely have to pay millions as a result of lawsuits) So, if Mayor Gavin Newsome were a smart man, which he’s not, he will have the tiger’s body on ice, have it stuffed and put on ebay. Its not too often you get to hunt a tiger these days, and there are many hunting enthusiasts who would pay MILLIONS for it. Then the city can pay the families, and even have enough left over to give to some animal conservation projects so they can feel good about themselves too. See how much good could be done with one dead tiger! There are still more tigers in the world than conservative politicians in SF. Don’t get me wrong, I love animals, especially ones so rare and exotic – they are the tastiest. I’m off to go bag me a Bald Eagle or something…

NOTE: I just got baCk on the internet with a new keyboard… my “C” key sticks and sometimes I end up typing words like “old instead of “Cold”

Adam please read my post very last post in the last thread!!!

John–

I brought up Bhutto because of Greta– and Adam and Greta are friends— I bet Greta is hurting as she knew Bhutto personally-

I like your post in the last thread- the one you made at 8:35– you said it all right there–

Back to the tiger—- are the victims, the survivors, talking about the events–

the blood from the area to the cafe? I was led to believe these two were at the cafe when the tiger attacked them—

The zoo is going to have to have more security– do they have surveillance cameras?

This story is a lot more involved than what little was said here on our local news– once again, Adam thanks—

Karen–

how about telling him he looked bold–

Adam– she meant to say cold but I am going with bold—

KC. you’re welcome!

How can a visitor possibly help a tiger to escape? There’s no way the visitor could have access to the exhibit door… doesn’t make any sense. But I guess it’s possible that a zoo keeper opened the door or some other outlet to allow the tiger to escape.

I agree with the victim’s dad.. even if you through stuff at the tigers and taunt them (like many kids do so they can get a reaction from the animal)… there should be no way for the tigers to get out… no matter what. The tiger should not have been taunted to begin with and the one that died certainly paid the price.. hopefully the other 2 learned thier lesson.

As far as the tiger being killed… was it this tiger that attacked a zoo keeper on December 22nd of last year? The exhibit had to be closed for 9 months of safety renovation and just reopened in September of this year. Was it this tiger or a different tiger?

Susan… I am soooo embarrassed!!! .. he really did look cold to me.. I felt bad for him out there reporting for us!

Karen meant cold….Susan’s going with bold. How ’bout gold. Adam you look as good as gold.

Karen T
You should have seen the look on my face when I read your post telling Adam that. OLD??? If you see me you’d wonder why I was still walking around..
At least you know how to get a comment back from Adam now. HA!
Good save Susan, Bold; and finer than Gold.

I can’t believe people would take up for a BEAST over a HUMAN being! These are the types of people who will end up worshipping the beast of Revelations! What devils they are! People have souls, animals don’t……people are more important! And, if you think they aren’t, then that is what you think of YOURself, that YOU are below a beast. And, so you are!

There are cold reporters and there are bold reporters and even old reporters, but, there are no cold, bold, old reporters.

Damnation, I didn’t know it was Sunday already.

Oh, the beast. I get it now.

Wish I had not viewed video with Peter Johnson Jr. Confirms all that is wrong with America…quick to think in terms of lawsuit bonanza. Idiotic comments like “the tiger had no right to kill”, the parents making the absurd statement that “you don’t go to the zoo to get killed” – totally ignoring the fact that their son’s death is a freakish oddity given the millions of zoo visitors over the years. Logic dictates that there was some differences between their son’s visit and that of all the other millions of visitors over the years.
The zoo should not have to pay a dime and in fact should file criminal complaints against anyone who was guilty of goading the tiger. I hope there was a test for blood alcohol level for the 3 fellows.
Johnson’s take notwithstanding, why is it the first thing one thinks of when a tragedy occurs is that the victim or family of the victim have hit pay dirt or won the lottery? Disguised with “public service” claims – you know – “I want to make sure this never happens to anyone else” etc, we are trading our real freedoms to pay for the stupidity and carelessness of the few. Next time you get tepid coffee (extra hot is the new standard hot) or pay double what you used to to get into the zoo, salute the few who have changed things for the worse for the many.
Very sad for the young men and their families and for the zoo and staff, and especially for the tiger who paid the ultimate price just for behaving like a tiger.

Yes, a beast….a being with no soul.

Odds are that most people would not stand over the body of their mauled son and say what a lot of the people here have said. ‘he deserved what he got’ and ‘I feel more sorry for the tiger’. Comments of giving this kid the death penalty more quickly than someone that brutally abused and murdered another human being is beyond my comprehension.
It is a shame he had to pay the ultimate price for whatever happened. His parents are in a spot I hope I never have to be in and are brave to go on TV. I’m sure they are in a lot of pain.

Karen T – same tiger, one year later (only 4 months on display and 1 dead 3 mauled in 2 seperate events), And in the last year there have been 4 captive animal attacks and this kitty was responsible for half of them, which means more problems for the city and zoo and more money for the victims family, the two brothers, and anyone in that zoo can sue for a number of reasons. The should have shipped that cat back after the first incident.
Im wonder the same thing about how the victims helped the tiger out…does using your leg as a ladder count as helping?
I love the Mayor’s spokesman’s comment…”Live animal attacks won’t be tolerated in San Francisco…” what a tool!

The zoo has some responsibilty to seperate this tiger even further from the public that they normally would. It was known to attack humans in the past. A zoo should really have tranquelizer armed guards placed around the zoo.
The zoo doesn’t just have a responsibility to protect the public from animals, but also the reverse. You can never expect people to be rasional all the time. If it is true that the boy was partially inside the tiger enclosure then both the boy and the zoo are at fault.

If you eat meat you are putting human life over the life of an animal. The police were putting the lives of the two surviving boys above the lives of the tiger. As they should.

I feel sorry for the beast. Human’s brought her from the wild to the zoo and have a responsibility to protect her. She should have been tranquilized, not shot to death. The kid’s shoe was found inside the fence. I feel sorry for the kid’s parents. I can’t say I feel sorry for the kid.

Karen S, if you should die from an attack of any animal, i.e. pit bull, snake, alligator, etc…, I will not feel sorry for you, because you deserve it. Because, you know what I think of you? I think you are way below all animals, lower than even a worm, and I would save the worm before I save you!

The moron father of the fellow that apparently became tiger food say it all about society today. “It does not matter”, he says, ” they can throw rocks, shoes, whatever. The animoal should not be able to get out”. Not a word of condemnation at the actions of his moron sibling about taunting a caged animal. I think he got his just reward. Unfortunately, the animal was killed, maybe unnecessarily. We got to thank the tigress for removing some unwanted specimen from the human gene pool.

I just read up on it —- It sounds like someone was involved in the tiger escaping from the grotto- (new word for me today- grotto) All three of these kids were related? Strange how these three were attacked? And if so, then they committed the crime– I heard the zoo is going to put up video surveillances now–

Some zoos have people sign waivers when there are zoo events so the zoos are not held liable- I was reading about assumption of risk-

Letting this be said— Now maybe a lesson can be learned from this tragedy— Parents and others will learn to visit the zoo and respect the animals– Most zoos post warning signs too– and maybe now people will pay heed to these warnings—

John, Karen, and the two Jens–

How about Adam stood out in the cold, so bold, looking like gold, but his shoes will turn old if he is standing in mold…..

Jennifer- ATL– I checked you out to see who you are- you and your children are all beautiful–

Jenna……………you’re just like the rest then……….” I would save a worm before I save you.”
There’s no place in the eternal penthouse for hypocrites, John 2:46

karen s: It wasn’t a captured in the wild, it was bred and created for our consumption. Just like the cow who died so people could eat it. If tigers were slow moving, docile, and covered in lots of meat then we’d all be eatting them.

No one even knows for sure if he did taunt the animal; there is no proof of that….someone said that someone said?!! So, why is he guilty before proven innocent and not the other way around? And, on top of that, why is he receiving the death penalty by you people just because YOU think he’s guilty of taunting the animal? And, even if the death penalty WAS a justified punishment for taunting an animal, then why is the death penalty NOT okay for the animal that KILLED a human? You people think backward and you are quirked!

John, why would I save a person who doesn’t care about human life? She cares more about worms than people because cute little worms are animals. If she had one in her belly, she probably would want to keep it so it wouldn’t die. She’s nuts.

Boy and wow- on some of the remarks—

This is a tragedy for all—— and what comes out of it should be a lesson— to all- the zoo- the guests and so on—- When you are a visitor, you are a guest and one should comply with all rules and regulations—

Just like how I got into trouble at the Grand Canyon because I tried to feed Bambi—

Susan….”How about Adam stood out in the cold, so bold, looking like gold, but his shoes will turn old if he is standing in mold…”

That is a thing of beauty. Hilarious!

And thank you for your sweet comment. I am blessed. For sure.

And it’s a shame this incident had to occur for the zoo to install surveillance cameras. I’m actually surprised cameras weren’t up already.

Hi Max—-

Susan: it’s not odd that they were all related. The zoo was closing, it’s likely that the people remaining would be in small groups. Two were finishing their meals, the other was fooling around while he waited, he’d probably not have left their sight. So after the tiger killed him she would have seen the other two, they were probably shouting at it so it would release the 17 year old.

If the zoo was still crowded when the attack occured, and there was many people in the area at the time, then it would have been strange for only those 3 to be singled out, but if they were the only 3 there it wouldn’t have been strange at all.

Jenna…regardless of how you feel about Karen’s comments, there isn’t reason to attack her verbally. Your comment to her is uncalled for and not what this blog is for.

Peace.

When you illegally cross boarders (the fence) you take the risk of dying. This kid took the risk he was aware of and although sad he got what he deserved. I see it highly suspect that these three individuals were the only ones hurt, why? because they were in close proximity to the law breaker(s). Lesson learned, idiot.

Jennifer- ATL-

I was surprised too- because this tiger had a previous incident when she attacked the zoo keeper while being fed— I also read the area was dark so they spent hours looking to see if other tigers were loose and if anyone else might have been injured- so maybe they need to put up more lighting– maybe hard to see a kid trying to go over a fence if the lighthing isn’t there–

And yes you are very blessed— to say the least-

Sure, Jennifer, but there’s a point to be made there.

John—————There is no John 2:46. You knew I’d go look it up.
There’s only John 1 0 1.

It’s actually very odd that the zoo didn’t have camera’s outside the enclosure of a creature known to attack it’s handler. One would think that’s exactly where they’d want cameras. It would be expected for this tiger to attack humans again (that’s why they always kill aligators accused of killing humans, they would likely attack again). They should have had cameras, so that if something like this happened then they would have a record of what happened. Or at least so security could quickly get to the scene if someone was climbing into the enclosure.

Jen S. You are right….there is not even a sentence in the Bible that says what John said.

However, this IS in the Bible:Revelation 22:18
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.

Cool pictures Robert– are you like a surfer????

Max- I was thinking on the same lines as Robert- the three were in close proximity so this explains the tiger’s selective attack– I just read they were related- The news here made it sound as if these two were strangers to the one who died–

Susan: no lighting? The grotto was empty until only 20 minutes earlier. If there was no lighting i doubt the deceased had any idea there was a tiger in there.

my understanding is that there are less than a thousand siberian tigers left in the world. It would be a shame to start exterminating those that show a carnivorous tendency or breeding them for docility.

most zoos have the stated mission of breeding endangered species, that mission would include protecting them from teenagers, poachers, etc. Jen is right, however, that the zoo also has a REASONABLE responsibility to protect people, no matter how foolish they may be.

Susan: but there doesn’t appear to have been any other witnesses to the attack. From the map it looks like one can see the tiger pen from cafe. If no one else was around then it wasn’t a selective attack at all. It was an attack on all the humans near by. If there had been a 4th victim who was a complete stranger to the 3 then there would be no question. If there was another witness from the beginning they don’t appear to have come forward yet.

Wow- Digressing at its fullest—

We have Bible study now—

Jen- did John mess with you?

I thought worms were used for soil and fishing?

Max– that was the word I was looking for- handler- You came through, again, for me!

(I hate to be the bearer of this news- but my dogs have souls)

How is it that there is no video surveillance system? Not for the entire zoo, but come on… it’s the freaking tiger exhibit.

Tom: i didn’t suggest exterminating them. If they were as i’d descried then they would be cows.
We breed cows for food because they don’t kill humans often and have lots of meat. If tigers were the same we would breed them in huge numbers, and they wouldn’t be endangered.

Susan: re handler: always.

The Bible always comes in to play, but John started it this time. I always knew he had Soul!
Max good to see you today–I loved your comment about elephant dung.
What a hoot, watch out for the poop shoot. Oh dear, I’ll have to write another poem.
I gotta go….ttyl

Max–
I meant to say the lighting is poor- and sometimes people do stuff when the lighting is poor as not to be seen- because anyone, reasonably would know, not to mess with a tiger– unfortunately, this kid, who is about your age, does not have your common sense, if he indeed taunt or provoke the animal—

And I totally agree- the Zoo’s has owes a duty of care to their guests– maybe more security would be a good investment— especially around the more dangerous animals—

oops- if he indeed taunted or provoked the tiger-

I don’t think this tiger is going to be doing any breeding—

It is my belief that the zoo should be held accountable for this tragic event, even if the tiger was taunted, for one reason. The tiger should have had some sort of official keeping a watch, especially since it had a history. Had someone, even a security guard, been there watching over the visitors AND the animals this might have never happened.

All we really can do now is try to keep this from happening again. Whether it be being respectful of the wildlife or building more secure areas.

I DUNNo if this is apporipiate but to sum up this event in 2 words

Sh*t happens..

Jen S……………huh? ……..sure there is, 2:46 is the time stamp of my verse………I (John) wrote it at 2:46 pm EST. Hence, John 2:46………..Isn’t that how that other John signed his verses waaaaayyy back when?

Avi
Always the intellect.
You always bring sun shine.! (I’m being serious and you know that)

Will come back later and see what Adam has posted as to what the facts are– and what is being done—

He seems to give it to us accurately– I have been reading newspaper articles online here–

I did read they were asking for witnesses to come forth because there was no video surveillance-

Adam???? -

AVi–

You speak like you live here in the US—–

Yes, it is true that people who defend animals over humans don’t like the Bible much and prefer not to talk about. And frankly, as far as I’m concerned, all animals are the same, whether they are worms, dogs who have worms, cows, chickens, tigers, and the people who relate to them as well. I just can’t understand why some people are defending animals over people, and furthermore giving the death penalty to a human being because someone said (that someone said) that he taunted the animal which there is no proof of, and even they are giving him the guilty verdict right off the bat! And, STILL, it would not justify the death of the teen. What is wrong with people? Are they all on marijuana and alcohol or something? Very bad judgement on these people’s parts!

Oh John… (shaking head) You are such a mess.

John–

you are too clever!

John- I figured that as soon as I hit submit. I SOMETIMES talk before I think.
signed- Susan ha ha

John, you wrote your false comment at 2:50.
Revelation 22:18
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.

Wow– Adam- many of your threads are all being connected on this one-

The death penalty, religion, and my secret punch–

I would need to see a 3d representation of the enclosure. I think I heard the mote was 20 feet. The world record for a human long jump is 29.5 feet. Myself I would assume a tiger would be able to jump considerablely further than a man. If the mote is 20 feet and the wall is 18 feet above the ground the tiger stands on the the distance the tiger had to cover is 26.9 feet. see Pythagoras’Theorem. I shed no tears for the animal it is in fact just an animal. If it’s proven the humans were in part responsible then it’ll be an example of cleaning the bottom of the gene pool.

Jen S: It’s true, we sped past there, you could see some dung on the path.

Was there even a fence? A lot of zoos prefer to just have high walls around the big cat pens so that the public don’t have to look through a fence. It’s not very safe though.

Jen–

boy, you have me pegged—

Adam– any wild thoughts here by anyone, just blame it on me–

Jenna ………..no I wont, Him 3:42

Remember Dorothy? My neighbor across the street whose husband had a stroke?

Well she is a Pastor and she is into releasing evil demons from within- (like exorcism)
I am going over there now and have one done– John, care for me to mention you?

Susan: have you been checking your email? I sent one a little while ago.

Did you know that the fences around elephant enclosures aren’t to keep the animal in, but to keep humans out? There are not many fences strong enough to stop an elephant, but all by the most shallow moats will stop an elephant, they cannot jump or they will shatter the bones in their legs.

Max–

I am headed that way- to my emails- I haven’t checked them in two days- see you in a few!

I did not know this about elephants and jumping– I just thought they were too big to jump unless their name is Dumbo– he can fly-

I think it would be best to wait and see what the investigation reveals about any taunting or responsibility on the part of the boys. This is truly a tragic event for everyone affected. The loss of a young man and an amazing rare animal. A very sad event. I love tigers and ALL cats large and small and have actually had an opportunity to pet a baby tiger and hold small baby cougars. What an awesome experience. I believe there wouldn’t be so many large cats in captivity if there were more in the wild. The fact that these tigers and most large cats not including African lions are endangered says everything we need to know about human stupidity and greed. As far as animals having souls – who knows for sure? They too are God’s creatures.

What seperates man from beast is that man can invent, while beasts do not.

Margo–

thanks for what you said— You couldn’t have said it better—

I have a picture here of my daughter petting a Bengal tiger in one of her travels–

Me– I think I would probably held back– but they are beautiful– and yes– God’s creatures- they were part of his plan- as everything else–

Max–

beavers invent–

Susan: the tested that out, they put beavers in swimming pools, they still built damns. That means instinct not intelligence.

Many posts in here are just ignorant of the facts we know so far, from which we can derive some preliminary conclusions:

1. The three victims knew eachother, and may even be related. They apparently were together given that there are blood tracks from the front of the exhibit to the cafe where the others were found (unless the blood tracks were the Tiger’s).

2. At least some of the three were up to no good, whether it was taunting, allowing the Tiger to somehow escape, or both. We have the footprint, the shoe and blood beyond the barrier, the pinecones and sticks in the moat, and most importantly, two injured men who REFUSED TO GIVE AUTHORITIES THEIR IDENTITY when asked. Check their immigration status by the way. Given this, i have no confidence they will tell us what really happened.

3. We have a beautiful, rare Tiger that is now dead for acting like a Tiger (just as it did in 2006), and that sucks. Another Tiger recently acted as a Tiger in a zoo in India and killed a guy by ripping his arm off when he violated a barrier too. By the way, we need to have Tigers in zoos and parks and preserves, or we will otherwise kill them, despite their amazing attributes.

4. While i feel sorry for the 17 year old and his family, this was not the zoo’s fault from what we can gather so far. The kid didn’t deserve to die, but he is not blameless it appears. You can’t blame the zoo based on what has come out so far, it is certainly not forseeable that a Tiger could on its own transcend that barrier given it has never happened anywhere before, and you certainly cannot blame the Tiger for acting like a Tiger. It will be a sad day when Tigers are gone, and it won’t be far from now, unfortunately.

OK Max: How smart and inventive is it for MAN to destroy it’s own environment resulting in pollution, climate change, and destruction of his own habitat?

Oyy whats up with GOD AND THE BIBLE coming into this… animal kills man … period…

can god or the bible just be left out…. i mean seriouslly the bible and god are always mentioned … and G.W.B… no one has said his name… yet…

speaking of the bible i had to do some bible( tanach) homework !!!!!!! sooo annoyying….. thats one of the only things i dont like about Israel bible ( tanach) is taught in public schools grrrr…

Max what speerates man from beast is that man is stupid while beast is not …. lol……

beast can invent … man can also so stupidy is a just term…..

oo and susan i kinda still live in the American hub….. All my israeli friends say to me ” youve been here 3.5 years and you havnt changed to be israeli one bit ” lool

OOO Ron Paul blaming US sorta ON bUTTO on Your World…..

I Still dont understand how this dude is running as a Republican…. hopefully if he somehow gets the GOP nomination the NATIONAL committe will block this…… they cant actually but yah i get the feeling he is going to come out of no where and pull of something crazy..

i THINk a Tiger needs to wake him up… becuase hes stuck in the internet world… he raising millions from the web…=/ and he needs to meet the real world

Eric–

Great post– you said it all–

Max– give me a break- I want something besides a human to invent something- what about spiders and cobwebs?

Avi– another word for me today- tanach– thanks

Margo– yup- man versus man– man versus himself- man versus nature–

I FEEL SORRY FOR THE PEOPLE AT THE ZOO THAT LOST TATIANA. AS FAR AS THESE PUNKS ARE CONCERNED, THEY ALL SHOULD OF DIED.

I agree that the tiger should not have been able to escape its enclosure no matter what happened.

I care as much about that tiger as I do about the animals whose meat I ate for Christmas dinner. “How much more valuable is a man than a sheep!”[or a tiger]. If our family dog jumps over our fence and kills someone who is taunting it, I think it should also be put down, because it is too dangerous to have around.

If evolution is true and we are all just animals, then you can’t find any fault with what I just said because I am just doing what comes naturally to me.

It’s hard to tell from the map what the moat was, but if it was accessible to the tiger and filled with water, it doesn’t surprise me that the tiger was able to cross it. From Wiki: “Among the big cats, only the tiger and jaguar are strong swimmers; tigers are often found bathing in ponds, lakes, and rivers.” From what I am able to view of photos of the enclosure on other websites, it looks like the tiger could get out if it really wanted to. I looks like it was designed, like many zoo enclosures, to allow people to view and photograph the animals without looking through glass or bars and also not really be that far away from the animals.

It is very unfortunate that a human death occurred. The boys should be held accountable for what they did. They are old enough to understand the consequence of provoking a wild and dangerous animal. They also understand the meaning of trespass.

If the parents pursue a law suit it should clearly be denied. On the other hand, the zoo should be held accountable for not having a habitat that restricts crazy people from releasing a dangerous animal into our community. The zoo is responsible to protect the public. In this case they did not.

Hi Adam, your coverage has been great on this. I havent had time to post though, but i’m still lurking.

No one really knows what happened inside that fence, except for God, the tiger, and the 3 boys.
Doesnt matter how much we narrow this story down, it still remains, a child lost his life. My heart goes out to the families involved.

Of all the things posted here, I do have one concern. We as humans are quick to put our murderers to death, and thats exactly what this tiger did (for whatever reason) she committed murder. Why would we think more of her, than we do our fellow humans?

I’ve raised many wild/domestic animals, have owned our own dairy for 25+ years, if there is one thing i do know, that is to respect each and every animal. Even the mildest milk cow, can turn on you in a heart beat. I’ve seen our best family dog, take a young calf down by the throat and attempt to kill it. For whatever reason, some animals, domestic or wild, have that kill instinct. It doesnt take taunting to bring it to the surface. We inturn, put the dog down. I would never have risked a human life in our farm yard to him or any other critter. But nothing, ever, will bring this boy back, and nothing ever, will justify his death.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/08/19/national/main787756.shtml

Would you send your senior daughter into a cage with a tiger to have pictures taken? This was close to me in 2005.
Seems like a lack of judgement (common sense) to me.

I, in no way see that the zoo is responsible, it did everything in its power to protect the public.

Sherlock,

Tigers have no problem swimming, unlike many other of the big cats, but explain to me how a Tiger in the water climbs up a sheer concrete wall which has been identified as anywhere from 12 to 20 feet high. It is complete speculation that the Tiger could have escaped if it really wanted to, given that such a leap from a Tiger that was born and grew up in captivity would be unprecedented.

Others,

Comparisons to domesticated animals such as dogs and cows are inapposite. Also, “murder” suggests a certain intent in the human context, and to attempt to overlay that term on a wild animal that is carnivorous, that lieterally needs to eat meat to survive, just doesn’t work–sorry.

Susan: the closest to invention other than in humans is chimpanzies, who can use basic tools, but they do not create the tools, just use objects that are already the right shape.
Humans are the only creatures who create clothes, no other creature creates farms.

All creatures pollute, we are the only ones who actually attempt to clean up what nature cannot cope with.

Max – good observation about pollution! Finally, humans getting a little credit for trying to clean up our messes.

I have no doubt that they may have taunted the tiger. I saw someone do that years ago. It didn’t take much to get the tiger’s attention. The person I saw do it was smart enough to not continue and that there was a high fence between them.

If anyone wants to see her, I photographed her 2 days before the atacks.
Here she is

http://rms3d.com/images/Photos/Tatiana/

Roman…Great pictures. She was a beautiful animal.

Roman – the pictures were gorgeous. Thanks for sharing!!

Eric, in the photos of the exhibit I have seen, the wall did not look that sheer, i.e., it did not look like it was going up at a 90 degree angle and it did not look totally smooth, like there was nothing at all for the tiger to grab onto. I just read the zoo director confirmed the wall was 12.5 feet, whereas it is supposed to be 16.4 feet minimum. Is that from the bottom of the moat? I don’t know. It is starting to look more plausible that the tiger escaped over the wall.

It seems that the only other explanation would be that zoo personnel …

When I was a young girl I went to the San Diego Zoo with my family. This was common since I lived there, but on one particular day, young men were taunting the gorillas. As a result, the gorillas eventually became ticked off and started throwing dung at the crowd. We escaped getting hit, but I remembered thinking then how stupid it was. Proving yourself to be dominant over an animal in a cage is really not much of a task.

The loss of life, the young man’s and the tiger’s are tragic and sad. It is very reflective of our society to not think ahead, not consider consequences.

Someone mentioned on here that we live in a society where there is “no fault”. I couldn’t agree with a statement more. This attitude and credo is what is holding us back as a society. We need to learn to think things through and then accept the blame when we chose not to do that.

Max………..you can twist (spin for you Bill O’ fans) that around and say that humans are the only creatures that make clothes and create farms because we’d be helpless without them. So who’s better adapted?

CBS radio was reporting that they had learned that the wall that surrounds the big cat outdoor displays was found to be “out of code”. They did not elaborate as to why and when this was found out.

Roman,

Thank you for the pictures.

How distressing that this beautiful being was murdered because of the actions of three BEASTS.

The loss of Tatiana is huge.

The human, not so much.

I hope the two beasts that survived will see harsh prosecution by the law.

I hope the Zoo sues the parents of the 17 year old for the loss of Tatiana.

I was reading some more here and another point I wanted to bring up. I realize that different people have differeing views on religion. I personally believe that God gives us free choice and to every decision, there is a consequence, good or bad.
How many times have all of us watched a serial killer or other inhumane killer be taken in to custody only to hear their parent or another relative make the statement, “he was a good boy, he would never have done that” and then later proceed to give some “reason” why this must have happened. No one wants to stand up say “that was wrong”. Even if it someone we love who does it, we need to start getting back to the basics of wrong and right.
IF these boys were doing something stupid, I am not happy that they were injured and killed, I am in fact, very sad for what has happened. The problem is that suing someone or something because of your own poor judgement isn’t going to improve the situation of this country.

After this incident, the zoos should start having a disclaimer printed on the back of a ticket – “the purchase of this ticket constitutes an acceptance on the part of the purchaser of the following: while every precaution possible (given our funding levels and the statistical probability that X out of Y zoo visitors is basically an idiot) has been taken to ensure a safe environment, the zoo will not be responsible for: people who can’t read the safety rules (signs posted everywhere), people too stupid to follow the safety rules, parents too stupid to prevent their children for doing things the safety signs tell them not to, people devoid of common sense, and so on and so on….
The only way to give those who want to live in a nanny state the 100% protection they feel is necessary in order for them to feel safe enough to venture into a zoo where they are statistically safer than being in a car, plane and probably a shopping mall, is to encase the exhibits in steel and just have tiny reinforced glass viewing windows. It would be like looking at nature through a telescope. Better these people should stick to watching Animal Planet from the secure comfort of their velveteen recliners where a quick click of the remote can remove the scary from their life. Thrill seekers who take pleasure in trying to get a rise out of a creature presumably unable to retaliate will have to find their thrills somewhere else – perhaps they can taunt the retarded, the crippled, or the aged. Same difference but with little risk to life and limb – should suit them perfectly.

Wowie–

some great read here– I saw Tatiana’s pictures on the thread ahead of this one– Roman–

Your pictures should be sent somewhere– and recognized– beautiful and so sad at the same time—

My opinion about nature, humans, and all living matter, organisms, etc- is we need certain things in our environment to exist– everything plays a role so as to balance the ecosystem— and it is interesting to see how everything gets affected by one change–

For each animal which becomes extinct, there will be several others which will follow- the food chain will change too- so will vegetation- and so on– Nature and man go hand in hand-

The issue here for me is the amount of security the zoo provided for the visitors and if Tatiana was provoked or taunted—

My neighbor got bit by my dog the other day- Tomasa doesn’t like her- and I have told her over and over not to get near her- I was going to put Tomasa in the bedroom but Maureen had to come in and try to make it a point to get Tomasa to like her- Tomasa bit her- I told Maureen how many times is she going to be bit before she realizes Tomasa doesn’t like her— I am at the point where Maureen can’t come over here if she doesn’t want to respect the rules here- which are– DON’T COME INSIDE UNTIL I PUT THE DOG AWAY AND STAY AWAY FROM HER-
Fortunately, it was a nip- well two nips- because Maureen didn’t pay attention the first time and tried get down at Tomasa’s level and got nipped again—
I don’t know why Tomasa doesn’t like her– point is– Maureen did not pay attention to my warning—

I watched a show a couple of weeks ago where the guy taught two tigers that were raised in captivity to hunt and act like wild tigers. You’d be suprised how high and far they can jump. Tigers have been known to jump over thirty feet in length and fifteen feet high. So I don’t think it’s impossible for this one to be able to catch hold of the top of that wall and pull herself up and over it. When a tiger stands on it’s hind legs it’s around 10-13 ft. tall(.depending on the size of it) The moat is reportedly about 20-30 ft. in length so if a tiger launches itself to jump someting that wide it’s already about half way there before it’s back feet leave the grown and if the wall is 12-14ft like is being reported today IMO it’s not impossible for her to have jumped across get ahold of either the top of the wall or this kid and climbed out.
The reason she grabbed onto the keeper last year was because the keeper stuck her hand/hands into the enclosure with the tiger at feeding time with the scent of food all over them.

Melissa–

You are talking about what I had posted earlier– the assumption of risk and some zoo’s do have waivers for some events the zoo offers and these have to be signed— It is like going to a baseball game- you assume the risk if you get hit by a ball especially if you stick your head out fa enough while trying to catch the ball and get hit instead-

And nothing should be teased, provoked, or taunted– this is simply cruel– animal or human— but the zoo needs to realize these things might happen so the animals better be secured!

Eric-

I agree-the tiger was going on instinct and not by means, motive, and opportunity– as intent to kill or murder– human style-

Totally agree with you Jeff, I’ve heard and posted those same figures…….so they must be true…lol

Anytime you try to hand feed a wild animal you have to remember that the animal doesn’t realize that you are feeding it. It will instinctively think that it has to fight you for the food and thus a lot of humans are maimed or killed because they think the animal understands their good intentions and forget that the animal sees you as a competitor.

Melissa–

Are you Louisiana Melissa?

I got an email a couple weeks ago about the ship being built there from the 9-11 scraps– and he sent me a picture of the ship. Was it completed?

If you are her, I hope you and your mom are well–

John: we use technology to be able to adabt to all environments. We change our environment to support larger human populations. Instead of adapting with out bodies, we adapt with our minds. We are perfectly adapted, but not specialised.

Adam,

By the way your reports of yours that were on this morning were terrific.
You have done an incredible job on this story.

Thank you

Regarding technology, the zoo spokesperson said there is NO public address system at all at the zoo because the people want it peaceful. How’s this for peaceful: 1 dead, 2 injured, and an incredible animal gone! Imagine if this had happened when the zoo was packed and there was no way to warn the people who keep the zoo going – the people. And consider this, 10 years ago SF voters passed a $48 million bond to pay for upgrades and renovations at the zoo. The money is still coming in and the Zoo Director, Mollinedo, said he wanted to upgrade the Hippo area and said he never thought about the tigers. You would think they’d treat the zoo as an art gallery or museum and protect their precious assets – the animals – not to mention customers. Someone needs to find out how much of the $48 million has been spent and what they spent it on. The city is also being sued for $8 million by the woman previously attacked. Imagine what these victims will want even if they were somewhat responsible. The fact that there were no cameras, no PA system and apparently an inadequate tiger exhibit shows the backwards thinking of the zoo officials. Everyone keeps saying it was a tiger being a tiger, well how about a ZOO being a ZOO?

Wow Zac–

great post—

I hope that the authorities look into the immigration status of these people and deport them promptly if they are illegal. Especially the moron father….. This could insulate the zoo from lawsuits.

There are only a few hundred Siberian tigers and how many million illegal immigrants? Think about it.

I’m no expert but I did some reseach on this after I saw the story and there are less than 400 Siberian Tigers left in the wild in Russia. Siberian Tigers usually only attack if they are being attacked or if their cubs are being threatened. From my research it is a “myth” that once they get the “taste” for human blood they want human blood.

Tigers, like snakes and about every other animal in the wild, just want to be left alone to hunt, eat and have more baby tigers.

I am sorry the boy died-especially on Christmas day. She appeared to be defending herself: if somebody is throwing things at us, and then starts coming into our home we are going to want to defend ourself and that enclosure, inadequate as it must have been, was the poor thing’s home.

I do not see killing the Tiger, the zoo was totally unprepared for something like this and they ought to move their large cats to the Omaha Zoo where they are experts in rebuilding Siberian and other large cat populations. Somebody who would have had a dart gun available to control the situation-especially since the zookepers appeared not to know if he others had escaped.

And maybe this will serve as a lesson to everybody who visits a zoo: animals are not toys and animals in zoos are not pets. Jay Leno aside not every furry little cuddley animinal wants to be in your face. Sometimes they had rather kill you than look at you. Their geneic code tells them to hunt, chase and live in large spaces in the wild.

I’m not even really sure why we still need zoos-with modern technology we can see any animal.

This is definitely me rambling here – some thoughts. Of course the loss of human life is bad. But so is losing the life of a precious endangered tiger. In any case, this event should teach both kids and parents a lesson. Kids shouldn’t taunt wild animals nor should they hang themselves over a railing to the point that they look like a dangling piece of meat.

Who can you blame for the incident?

The Tiger? No – The Tiger is just being a tiger.

The Zoo? No – The Tiger would have not gotten out if it weren’t assisted by stupidity (hanging over ledge). No matter if the wall was 3 feet below recommended height.

The boy and his friends? Yes – Again, stupidity by pissing off a Tiger. Even if the boy wasn’t directly involved in the taunting, he was an accomplice. Birds of a feather.

The parent? Yes. – For not raising the boy with common sense and instilling in him the respect for wildlife.

The boy’s father stated “I don’t think my son would do something like taunt animals,” he said Thursday morning. Uhhhh… yeeeah. Do I sense the “My baby would never do something like that” mentality? Even if the kid was just standing there witnessing what was going on, he was guilty by association. Parents should know what type of people their kids hang out with. When you obtain an endangered animal and place it in a cage located in the middle of a city, you have a responsibility to keep that endangered animal alive. This animal “was” (because it’s dead now – shot by police go figure) endangered. Let’s visit the concept of using tranquilizer guns… of course I don’t think police or zoo officials took that into consideration. I know there are people out there that say humans are just as endangered as Siberian Tigers. Well, for those hippies that believe that, they really need a reality check.

Sharon

I have one for you Jenna almight one

Mother Nature Commands Attends
and Deserves Respects Always

If any of you know why the animals are in zoo’s maybe you would have a clue. It is called the SSP.
Species Survival Program we are trying to breed the strongest bloodlines to keep certian animals alive so when the go extinct in the wild we have programs we are currently working on to try to release them back into the wild. And if any of you have worked at a zoo or volunteered at one then you would understand a little more about the situation. Taunting & teasing is the #1 offense people do to big cats and there are plenty of people that cannot repspect coming to the zoo to learn education and conservation of any animal but they like to tease them. Saving our planted is every ones responsibility no matter what those boys did that was a very bad mistake on their part 1 paid with his life, 2 paid with injuries and Tatiana paid with her life and soul and I watched her grow up from a baby cub until she came to the San Francisco Zoo. Think about all of you….

As someone put it those boys were @ the zoo about the time it was getting dark. It seems obvious they weren’t animal lovers there to observe the beauty of the zoo animals. So it seems again that the intent was to cause some mischief by provoking the tiger to react to their taunts.
But being IGNORANT about wild animals, they got more than they bargained for and that is why they are tight lipped. The TRUTH will be ugly and the two survivors are responsible for their friends death. The real tragedy is that gorgeous exotic wild creature died because of their STUPIDITY!

So many toughts going through my head. Loss of life in any way is awful. That said; this incident is a tragedy.

I’ve worked at places of public attraction / entertainment and I’ve seen my share of young people showing off. Zoo’s amusement parks, carnivals, circus’ all have posted rules. The rules are there to ensure the safety of the public. I know the SF zoo has these rules posted in many places throughout the park I’ve seen them, pointed them out to my own child and when she was younger explained why they made the rules. There have been millions of people in and out of that zoo since it opened in the 1930’s. This seems to be the only death involving a zoo animal that I can find after a few days of looking. The zoo is an accredited member in good standing of the AZA (Association of Zoo’s and Aqurariums), has under gone and PASSED safety inspections, the wall was lower than RECOMENDED not lower than REQUIRED. So, what happened? Why were these young men hurt? There has to be something more. As I said at the begining of this I’ve seen a lot of young people who get together with out their parents in places like the zoo. I hate to sterotype here and I DON’T know that is the case, but what if these boys were acting out? What IF they disregared all of the rules the zoo put in to place for their safety? What IF they crossed all the barriers that the zoo put into place for their safety? Would the tiger have come out of the pen if they were safetly on the other side of the railing where they should have been? Why should they not be held accountable for their own actions? Maybe the zoo should make a new rule: No one under 21 admitted with out a parent.

Jenna, why do you assume that animals have no souls? I don’t think that there is anything in the bible that states that? Animals have been shown to have emotions: they grieve when they loose a mate or a loved one, they save the lives of the ones they love. So if an animal is capable of love maybe it does have a soul. Animals are God’s creatures as much as humans are the loss of either is a tragedy. If He had been present at the time of the incident which do you think He would have saved ?

Sorry for the vent everybody…. That zoo and those tigers inspired my daughter to persue her dream to become a zoologist, I feel like I know each of them personally, I’ve spent hours outside that enclosure watching her and her companion. I wonder how he’s doing … does he miss her?