Medal of Valor
This story still gets a lot of people upset and there are some updates. First the four San Francisco police officers who fatally shot the tiger that escaped its zoo enclosure and attacked three young men on Christmas Day have been recommended for medals of valor.
You might remember that when the officers arrived at the zoo, one man was already dead and the tiger was attacking a second victim. Authorities have said the officers fired their semiautomatic handguns to kill the tiger.
Also according to reports, In the weeks since the animals were quarantined, zookeepers have come up with creative ways to stimulate the cats, including entertaining them with games and toys and even showing them videos of the Disney cartoon “The Lion King.” The tiger exhibit is supposed to re-open tomorrow.
Zoo officials last Monday said the grotto renovations should be completed by . They hope to release the cats from quarantine on Feb. 7, which is tomorrow.
HERE’S A REPORT: Although zoo officials did not offer an explanation for how the Siberian tiger, Tatiana, escaped from her enclosure last month, they did accept responsibility for the attack that killed Carlos Sousa Jr. and injured two of his friends.
“Under no circumstances is it OK for an animal to escape its enclosure,” said Nick Podell, chairman of the San Francisco Zoological Society, the nonprofit that manages the zoo in partnership with the city. “I want to deliver a mea culpa for the zoo. There is no excuse.”
A team of tiger experts from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which accredits zoos around the country, arrived Saturday to inspect the enclosure. Their review is expected to conclude this week, but the findings will not immediately be released and they may never be made public, zoo spokeswoman Lora LaMarca said.
The new enclosure surrounding the tiger grotto will consist of a concrete wall, a glass viewing area and wire-mesh fencing that stretches 19 feet high.
The upgrades will cost the city’s Recreation and Park Department about $1 million, said Yomi Agunbiade, the department’s general manager. Other changes in store for the zoo include the installation of surveillance cameras to monitor dangerous animals and visitors, a siren that would sound if a dangerous animal escapes, and electrified hot wires inside a moat in the grotto area that would emit low-voltage shocks if a cat attempts to escape.
Zoo Executive Director Manuel Mollinedo, whose job performance has come under scrutiny since the attack and who was both praised and criticized during Monday’s hearing by members of the public, said “something unusual and extraordinary happened to cause this 4 1/2-year-old Siberian tiger to get out of her habitat.”
“The zoo has had tigers in that exhibit for more than 67 years, and this is the first time a tragedy like that has occurred,” he said.
Supervisors also continued to raise questions about whether the public-private operating agreement between the Zoological Society and the city is the best way to run the zoo.
Tags: SF Zoo, tiger attack
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Wow. I am amazed at this whole disaster. As a cop, and borderilne animal rights activist, I feel the worst for the cat. It is humans that put her in that cage, and humans that failed her somehow in the end.
I do agree with the medal of valor for the cops. We award that medal to officers who place themselves in peril willingly, to save others. Such selfless acts are impressive enough when the foe is a human being. A wild animal makes this truly a unique story. These officers had no idea if their weapons would subdue the animal, and accepted the possibility that they would be killed in the fight.
Outstanding police work, and the very definition of valor.
PC
Here is a taste of what law enforcement live with– came from an article written about philosophical cop–
It is this frustration that led him to start his blog. “My mission has always been to represent the TRUTH about what cops do and what they go through,” he explained. “Their payment, by the way, for all the risks they take is the media selling them short, high blood pressure, family stress (missed weekends and missed kids’ parties), low life expectancy, high cancer rates, etc. Yet they keep on going.”
“The upgrades will cost the city’s Recreation and Park Department about $1 million, said Yomi Agunbiade, the department’s general manager. Other changes in store for the zoo include the installation of surveillance cameras to monitor dangerous animals and visitors, a siren that would sound if a dangerous animal escapes, and electrified hot wires inside a moat in the grotto area that would emit low-voltage shocks if a cat attempts to escape.”
Sure, I think it’s great that the zoo plans on making upgrades. Isn’t this all stuff that should have happened before the tiger exhibit ever opened at the zoo though? Zoo owners should have used preventative measures, especially with installing cameras, before a dangerous animal is let into the zoo.
Reactive measures are great, but it’s always best if safety measures are installed at the get-go. Good luck getting business going again!
Rod- Sleeping in a suit would not be a good sign.
you are funny– yeah- you are right- sleeping in a suit on a park bench would not be a good sign-
Miriam…soldiers do get medals for bravery
Sorry Gang, Adam was covering the AZ area of voting I think or maybe NM. Anyway he was in a suit not sure if he was in LA or in the state he was covering.
I can understand what these police did and wanting to give them a medal. But why don’t we feel the same for our soliders who are fighting for all of us. All of the soilders should receive a medal for bravery.
Those police were put in that position by the stupid acts of the boys. They need a cage for people who would stand on a tigers wall and taunt the animal.
Terri–
I am sending your link to my daughter– boy is she smart– I learned so much about her– we were like strangers to each other– I got more emails from her in one day than I did when she was gone for three years–
Now that I have seen your link– I will have to watch CSPN and CSPN2 again– the House and the Senate channels are addicting– nothing like being right there—
cat nap time– I have a lot of work here- lol
Jen-
lol– it is turning out to be a thesis– Rebeca and I persuaded one person to see the light– man it took forever— and now I am going to doing some translating for her– she is such a cutie– and so full of fight– she is an Engineer working on her Masters– I am so honored to be her big mom-
then the political thing got started- US stufff and there I was again– so my daughter and I were at it for hours -I had to be in Surprise at 3:00 and I was fifteen minutes late- again!
I was running the international blog over by my side– it was fun– links going back and forth–
Patty was so worried about you- I have to say– she was looking for you- so I also served as the search party-
xxxxxxxxx
KT–
Adam once said he covers other areas when they don’t have enough people to cover them– so who knows– we will see when he posts again-
I am sooooo tired- I got about three hours sleep- between reading and writing and then watching the Budget Committee, I am off to bed- I have to do some translating for a friend of mine- so I am going to take a two hour nap and get started on it-
Rod– hi– hope all is well-
Patty- Love Wizard of Oz- and I also made reference to Romper Room a few thousand posts ago- lol
(I see Patty, I see Jen. Oh there is Karen. I see Max. And oh look, Avi is sleeping. I also see Terri. :P) Isn’t that how it went? lol
Patty and Jen- still no mail? Rod- yours will take longer- but it should be a couple more days-
Adam and Chuck– hellooooooooooo!
nite all– cat nap time–
Maybe he didn’t have his laptop with him.
Susan, is that Adam’s area though?
Patty-
You’re right-and it was 66 degrees today. What is with that groundhog? He must not have gotten the memo on global warming.
Rod- One word to you. Declaw.
Kathy could have just as easily said why he was on sheps
but doesnt matter, when i saw carl rove on there, that pretty much got me away from the channel
jen, scary stuff. sounds more like spring in kansas.
Hi Crabby Patty-
Thanks for thinking of me I am safe! We had thunder and lightening that’s about it. Three dogs ended up in my bed. My son goes to college 1 1/2 hours away- they had to go to the basement at 1:30 am. There was a touchdown 15 miles from him. ugh. I am way up Northern Kentucky 25 miles south of Cincinnati OH.
I think Susan is writing her thesis on Chavez–so she’s busy today.
Max,
That is really sad. I know you are right. I just don’t know if people realize that they did’t kill the tiger because they hate tigers.
I have gotten complaints at work at times for simply doing my job. Just kind of sucks when the whole situation is all over the tv and news.
Maybe Adam was covering the twisters?
Kristin: I’m 100% sure they have recieved hate mail.
Adam was on Shep’s show? Does anyone know what story he is covering?
Terri: GO GOP!
My Uncle was a San Diego cop for 30+ years. He had to kill a mountain lion in the line of duty once that was in a residential area. I know he never wanted or expected a medal, but he sure didn’t need the flack he got on the paper from people outraged because he shot an animal that was posturing to attack him and his ride along.
Maybe the medals weren’t required, but I hope that they haven’t taken a lot of “hate” mail. It does bite pretty bad when you do what you need to do as a part of your job and you get chewed out for it.
Rod is right, sleeping in a suit is not choice!
Rod, those storms were terrible
Check this out…
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/02/06/hallelujah-senate-republicans-block-dem-attempt-to-lard-up-stimulus-package/
Sleeping in a suit would not be a good sign.
Just saw Adam on Shep, he is in a suit and not sleeping.
Patty,
One of the guys on the board says 4 people died in his area due to the storms. I’m waiting on further info. -Rod-
Patty,
Over time my body’s acquired it’s own unique alarm system. I may sleep like the dead at times, I can sleep through the cats’ howling when they are in heat (once I get to sleep that is) yet awaken instantly if I hear them running, climbing the curtains, etc. I guess I’ve just learned to tune out anything that’s not important. I don’t hear people pounding on my door yet will awaken if someone whispers. The phone won’t wake me but a car pulling up out front will. It’s eerie. -Rod-
i would never be able to sleep rod! but, i guess we do what we gotta do.
jen…i’m glad you are ok. i was thinking of you at 3 am when i turned the news on. i emailed susan to check on you. My heart goes out to the others caught in those storms.
Serious, Patty. I sleep with my neck covered.
I was just outside watching the Hummers. They’re fattening up on bugs that seem to be hatching off of the trees. I can’t see the bugs but the birds are chasing them down, bobbing and zooming at them. Its fun to watch.
Dirtbags…actually I was a member of a board that’s about half and half military/ex military snipers and police snipers. The word ‘dirtbag’ is pretty common. I’ve heard it on the ranges a few times here, but I can’t recall it being used in Colorado offhand. It may have a regional use. -Rod-
yikes rod!
terri…”dirt bags” reminds me of tv.
Patty,
I laugh too, but only when they settle down. One day they may just kill me. My R. carotid is literally right under the skin, an anatomical anomaly caused by my surgery. Those claws may one day do me in. -Rod-
The Religion of Peace has sunk to a new low:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,328832,00.html
Police sure don’t deal w/ choir boys all day, that’s for sure.
I typically hear cops call them “bad guys”. I’ve never really heard “dirt bags”.
I could think of more fitting things to call criminals.
*LOL*
Patty, yeah. I turn the lights out here and the girls see that as a signal to play. They run around the room, over every stick of furniture, over me. Having 2-3 cats landing on my belly in the dark is spooky. I never know when one’s going to hit. -Rod-
Adam…you have more super bowl pics? or from the parties? or just from AZ?
Our daughter used to brag about how “good” her cat was. Till the night we spent the night, when daughter went to bed, and cat went crazy! Hanging off the back of the recliner, topping the sofa, etc!
Patty,
She is that, yeah!
Too smart for her own good and smarter than me too. At the moment she’s curled up in a tiny ball on my pillow, doing the ol’ sleeping angel act… 
-Rod-
There used to be a really funny prawnography site, but i can’t find it
*L* Rod! What a sh*t!
I just busted Ginger…it’s getting harder and harder to catch her in the act as she hears the camera turn on and jumps off:
http://www.usapatriotsamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?p=56442#post56442
Carl,
I haven’t heard any stories that the cat had ever attempted to escape. “Developing a learned behavior” - experimenting - there’s no evidence that I know of. Why do you assume all the cops were shooting 9 mils? They may have been .40’s or 45’s…even a 10mm. I personally have no clue, but nonetheless a Tiger is mortal. 40-60 rounds of even 9 mil, obviously, did the job.
Patty, yup, the mirror
-Rod-
Barf, sounds like you’ve been around cops a lot for you to say you’d be rich for everytime they called someone a dirt bag.
Police officers are amazing, brave people who I am grateful for. If it wasn’t for them crime would be overwhelming and unsafe to go anywhere outside of your own home. They risk their lives everyday for us all.
Giving these officers a medal and showing appreciation is the least they could have received.
Carl, that was interesting about the learned behavior. I was wondering how many times this tiger tried to escape in the past. Of course we would never hear of those reports because she never made it over the wall before. But who is to say she never tried.
No Rod…romper room had that silly mirror!
Hiya Rod..i “talked” to susan earlier…she was late …wherever she was going! *L*
The police officers that responded to this definitely deserve medals of valor. Tigers are no longer hunted in the wild, but when they were, it was with an appropriate rifle, meaning a .416 Rigby or .458 Win. mag. To say that these police officers were undergunned with a 9mm Glock is the understatement of the centurty… like trying to kill a man with a bb gun.
As for the reason the tiger escaped, beyond what is already known relative to the inconsistencies of the enclosure, I believe the tiger had been developing a learned behavior to escape. They are exceedingly intelligent animals, capable of pushing the fold ( climbing out ), and continuing to learn.
Barf
Hiya Patty, KT, Jen, Karen… Wow. I’m flashing back to Romper Room!
Has anyone talked to Susan today? -Rod-
Jen…the crabby patties!!!!!!!!
Max…that was cute!!
my bet is Adam is zzzzzzing
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/02/06/cops.stop.cause/index.html
That is a very interesting article on how things look from the cops point of view. But I take exception to the previous portrayal of police as self-sacrificing, noble people. They are just people, good, bad and ugly ones too. I believe that most go in with good intentions, but far too many also get into LE because they get off on getting over. IOW, they enjoy the testosterone rush of having power over others. If I had a dime for every time I heard a cop refer to some citizen as a “dirtbag”, why I’d be a rich man. The good, the bad and the ugly. That is the truth. BARF!
It was Sheldon J. Plankton…..he wants the crab cake recipe.
And any police officer that even pulls over a drunk deserves a medal …imo.
eeerrr Adam, where’d ya go?
lolololololol…patty
John: That sounds like a prawnographic website to me
whoooo lives in a pineapple under the sea….;-)
Ok…time to go home.
Laters!!
right on jeff…they are under the microscope all the time, everybody is waiting to sue somebody and they are prime targets because soo many times the things the do or don’t do can cause serious harm. They do their jobs out of a love for people and a desire to help, and they have a rough job 99% of the time, I would love to be one of the guys that gets to shake their hand and congratulate them on a job well done. I cannot recall anywhere in any police training that prepares them to do battle with an 800lb tiger.
Max…………speaking of “Krabs”……….this place has a great slogan………..
http://www.dirtydickscrabs.com/
Far to often in the country the police and sometimes fire/ems personel are scrutinized more then they are praised. They put themselves in situations that the people who scrutinize them would run from, so if they do something and someone feels that they deserve a medal for it… I say congrats and then I stand and applaud.
Hi, I’m Barf! I’m a Mog, half man, half dog!
Avi…yours sounds more productive! *L*
Sus…i love the Wizard of OZ!!!!!! I have many collector things.
Maybe it was that lobster from sponge bob; Eugene H. Krabs
yeah I have all this energy and it just jumps, I mean I am on my way down stairs to smoke while I do standing back flips, just to level out….But I am not going to rule out a conspiracy between spongebob and darth gates, we all saw mccain/huck join forces in west VA, perhaps gates and spongbob have teamed up…
OK…off to do back flips…
be back soon
Who would have ‘thunk’ it, a Lion King tape for stimulation! hahahahaha That cracks me up. I guess if it works do it.
Avi-
Where do we go for our medals??
…..And you all may have thought my SpongeBob theory yesterday on the cut cables was odd …
Derek you are out of this world…..LOL 
Max: I was second
I wouldn’t like to be the one chomping an a juicy burger hanging on the side of the tiger wall while admiring them and have that tiger escape. I wonder if the tiger could have escaped by something as simple as that. Stupid on my part to eat a burger in front of a tiger, yes. Could the tiger have escaped for something as simple as that, absolutely.
MS drone #1………reposition to area Foxtrot…………..New target………Ipod Communications Center and get Jobs………….
creative bored minds at work… good job
Derek: I was the first one, obviously, were you the 2nd?
What???? No Wizard of Oz?
10 TRILLION threads ago, I posted the officers need to be commended– so glad to read they are
being recommended …..
simple minds, simply amused! *LOL*
I LOVE spaceballs too!!
020608…………..2242Z………Coordinates 38*46.32′ 75*58.11′ Alt. 53200……………….
Fox blogger link targets acquired……………..multiple bogies on line…………..stand by for links communication cut…………..in 3……..2……….1………..cut……………………………Error, Error, Error………………links cut aborted……………..Program needs to close, Do you wish to report to Microsoft?……………………………….. MS, Please reply……………
D@mned Dell Computers…………
Oh so many different people Max! I wonder who they all are? LOL
Patty: i prefer SpaceBalls too
Since our kids are grown, i actually prefer SpaceBalls Derek! *L*
I have watched starwars endlessly, and the funny thing is, it does not bother me, I love it every time I see it, our boys were all jedi’s for halloween and we custome made their costumes (I can sew) they still run around in those slashing light sabers at everything, it is fun, fun, fun.
Oh, I see I made some more grammar errors… sorry..
but..
trust me… these guys RARELY get a “good job, we appreciate you” note from anyone …
is is a pretty thankless job (not that they mind, they do what they need to do b/c they love their job) … especially when criminals get out after they’ve been convicted.
*shakes head*
Mike always jokes around that everyone loves the firefighter… but not the cop…
I have 3 sons ages 3 to 7 and they think star wars is the coolest, we have movies, toys and legos and we are a star wars house, it reminds me of my childhood, I can remember standing in line for the originals with my dad
Sorry to disagree barbara, but the medals are a way of saying thank you, and what they did, was brave. The boys should be held accountable if they did do something wrong, but the zoo has some liability for not meeting regulations. It is a tragic even either way, and I think that the officers are put in for medals, then somebody thinks they deserved them. It is really a small thing, medals really don’t mean all that much, I would be fine with doing away with all medals for all people in public service and just offer them more money, but nobody seems to like that idea either
You know, my husband never ever expects any kind of award for chasing down career criminals…
that’s the job he has chosen…
but one time when he and his squad surprisingly recieved a Meritorious Award from the Sheriff ~ it sure made him and they guys feel good … they had a 100% conviction rate! That’s amazing in this lawyer day in age.
I wonder who pretended to be the drone? *cough cough*
++++++++++++++++++
Target Acquired
Name: Derek
Location: Virginia
Crime: Knowing to Much
Objective: Terminally Pacify
++++++++++++++++++
Derek, you either play too many video games or watched star wars, 1 too many times