These pictures come from our new blogger Roman. He was at the zoo two days before the killing and snapped these photos of the tiger before the attack/escape.

These photos give us all a better picture of the animal at the center of this story. Thanks Roman for the pics! I will have another update in a couple of hours.

Meantime, the latest info is below.

This is the latest update from zoo officials and also the San Francisco Police Department. It still doesn’t answer whether the young men taunted the tiger and that is still being investigated. Investigators still believe that taunting is what spurred this animal to launch itself out of the tiger compound. According to the AP…..Carlos Sousa Jr. (the 17 year-old killed) and his friend’s brother desperately tried to distract the 350-pound Siberian tiger, but the big cat instead came after Sousa.

“He didn’t run. He tried to help his friend, and it was him who ended up getting it the worst,” the teen’s father, Carlos Sousa Sr., said Thursday after meeting with police.

Investigators also revealed that the tiger’s escape from its enclosure may have been aided by walls that were well below the height recommended by the accrediting agency for the nation’s zoos. San Francisco Zoo Director Manuel A. Mollinedo acknowledged that the wall around the animal’s pen was just 12½ feet high, after previously saying it was 18 feet. Keep Reading …

THURSDAY NIGHT UPDATE

According to San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong, “There is a shoeprint on the railing.” “Our forensic analysis will allow us to determine if any of those shoes match the print that is on there.”"We have no information as of this time from the investigation that tells us that someone’s leg was slung over the rail,” Fong said. At the same conference, zoo director Manuel Mollinedo said he believed the tiger escaped its enclosure over a wall nearly 13 feet high, or about three feet below the minimum height recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The wall and a 33-foot moat separate the tiger’s enclosure, which dates to 1940, from the public viewing area, Mollinedo said. “She had to have jumped,” Mollinedo said, ruling out any escape through an opened gate orservice area. Chief Fong also said the brothers fled when they saw the cat had killed their17 year old friend and the tiger caught up with them about 300 yards away at a cafe on zoo grounds. That’s where Police found the tiger and shot it dead.

    We began at 2:45am pst and stayed on location until mid afternoon. Nora headed for her room, while Keith and I grabbed a bite to eat and a quick supply run. After a couple hour nap I got the latest info from the Zoo which includes a change of mind. The San Francisco Zoo now says they are closed on Thursday and Zoo spokesman came out of the back gate just as we wrapped for the night… He said that the necropsy was done and that the cat was found to be healthy and she was shot 3 times by the four officers. The Zoo also paid $250,000 in upgrades after the zoo keeper was attacked last December 22nd AND…we’re now hearing the two young men who survived, COULD go home as early as Thursday.    

Zoo spokesman came out of the back gate just as we wrapped for the night… He said that the necropsy was done and that the cat was found to be healthy and she was shot 3 times. The San Francisco Zoo is a member in good standing of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. That organization says yesterday’s death was the first-ever visitor fatality resulting from an animal escape at an AZA-accredited zoo. Also, authorities have released the identity of the person killed in the tiger mauling, the victim was Carlos Sousa, Jr. a 17-year-old from San Jose.

REPORTS FROM EARLIER IN THE DAY:More info about the victims. The boy killed was just 17 years old and friends with the two mauled survivors, ages 19 and 23. All three were friends from the south bay city of San Jose. About an hours drive or so from the zoo. I get the feel that this lead about possible taunting, remains strong at this afternoon hour of nearly 2pm on the west coast. There is no surveillance video and that means that investigators are going on some sort of interview information from somebody.  HERE’s the stuff from earlier.20 foot moat, 18 foot fence.Zoo sweep is complete and investigation is ongoing.Zoo plans on opening tomorrow, tiger exhibit closed for near future.We are being told 3 victims…..2 injured are brothers, man killed….their friend. All from San Jose.No video surveillance at this part of the zoo where attacks happened.

Hearing about an 11:30 pst press conf. Here at our live shot location at the service/employee entrance.

Also, the two men who survived the mauling are said to be brothers.

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Helicopters with spotlights and infared searched until midnight and no reports of missing people. The investigation and search is on….right now….930am pst.

Officers are working with zoo investigators, right now there is no determination as to how the tiger got out.

4 officers went into the zoo last night with reports 4 tigers were on the loose, the situation was very dangerous, not only because they are wild tigers, but because there is a ton of cover at this zoo and it was night.

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Just before 9am, 12 officers on motocross-type motorcycles head in towards the employee entrance. After seeing the cameras, they made an abrupt u-turn and headed out to the Great Highway and one of the other zoo entrances. Using these motocycles, they can easily cover all ground inside the zoo and cross over just about any and all obstructions.

They aren’t looking for anyone in particular, just covering in depth all areas of the zoo to ensure no more victims and no more zoo animals are out.

They also will be looking for indications as to how this tiger escaped.

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At 8:54am….I begin talking to motorcycle officers. They tell me this is exclusive!!!!!

Sources within the San Fran PD tell me they believe the tiger went after and targeted the 3 men because they were taunting her as the zoo closed.

The sun has come up and the first police officer has arrived. Through the employee entrance across the street from Lake Merced here in San Francisco, car after car begins to arrive. I am told these are the workers in charge of animal care. The zoo is closed for the day after the attack and only essential employees are asked to be on the site.

The officer doesn’t seem to be part of the early morning search. We’re told investigators are going back in this morning in force, to ensure there are no more victims and to try and determine how this big cat got out.We have just checked out the entire perimeter of the zoo.

All gates are locked down and locked barriers stop anyone from entering any of the parking lots. The only activity is here at the employee entrance. Along the ‘Great Highway’ which splits between the zoo and Pacific Beach, the exit is even coned off. At one point you can see inside from a bluff and there is no activity and the animals even seem to be hunkered down.