I might be the only one thinking it, but accidents happen.
As for the previous incident with Tatiana, where she mauled another zoo keeper: "A year ago, Tatiana reached its paws through a set of bars and tore into zoo keeper Lori Komejan's arm during a regular afternoon feeding at a cage enclosure known as the Lion House in December of 2006. Dozens of zoo visitors were watching the feeding. The Lion House was closed to the public because of that incident and only re-opened three months ago" (from
Yahoo! News UK). That's just normal for a tiger. That's not a good enough reason to shoot the tiger or to even "release it into the wild" somewhere.
As for the "animals don't belong in cages" argument, or the "release it back into the wild or in some nature reserve" argument, in Tatiana's species there are "fewer than 400 surviving in the remote forests of Russia’s Sikhote-Alin mountain range, east of the Amur River. Another 600 are kept in captivity (from
Times Online). I think returning such a creature, who probably was born into captivity and raised in captivity, back into the wild or even into a nature reserve was clearly not an option. Furthermore, she was part of a breeding programme, which brings me to my next point.
There is a huge difference between cruelty towards animals and the role of zoos like the San Francisco Zoo. Like almost every charity-registered zoo in the world, they are crucial to conservation programmes around the world. So long as there are critically endangered animal species, zoos need to stay open because they are the last refuge for animal species that would otherwise be completely obliterated from existence. They are at the front line, engaging in research, breeding and conservation initiatives around the world, dedicated as pressure groups and charities to help preserve species that would otherwise be left to fade away. If you've ever spoken with any of the scientists running these places, you'd find they spend millions trying to educate the public, motivate the government and generate the research we need to understand the biology of our planet and the role we all must play in conservation. It's not all about taking the kids to the zoo for the day. There is a much bigger picture at stake.
I think the zoo needs to publically take responsibility for the attack, if they haven't already done so. They need to be able to reassure the public that the safety of visitors at the zoo is of paramout importance - even over the safety of the animals.
The tiger wall was reportedly four feet shorter than the recommended minimum height, but there are reports the boys at the zoo, involved in the attack, could've been provoking the animal. The San Francisco Chronicle reported, "San Francisco police are investigating the possibility that one of the victims in the fatal tiger mauling on Christmas Day climbed over a waist-high fence and then dangled a leg or other body part over the edge of a moat that kept the big cat away from the public, sources close to the investigation said Wednesday. The minimal evidence found at the scene included a shoe and blood in an area between the gate and the edge of the 25- to 30-foot-wide moat, raising questions about what role, if any, the victims might have had in accidentally helping the animal escape. (From
The San Francisco Chronicle.)
Other reports are denying this. Either way, you can bet the zoo, the handlers and the keepers are heartbroken, both for the family and the tiger. It is a loss for the planet as well as a sad loss for the victim's family.
