12-28-2007, 06:21 AM
There's plenty of blame to go around. And none of it falls on the tiger. There appears to be some evidence that there was provocation. Why the zoo didn't keep a better eye on visitors (for the safety of the animals) is kind of questionable. At the SD Zoo, there are cameras everywhere - visitors are generally unaware of just how many. And plenty of Zoo cops (all armed) to make short work of unruly visitors - or animals. Try tossing something into an enclosure. You'll be nailed in less than 60 seconds. Apparently, the security in SF was not up to the task, and it cost them an animal.
It is really not that unusual for animals to get out of their enclosures. Here in SD, the extreme example of that was an orang named "Ken Allen" who constantly - as in daily - escaped from his enclosure. Besides a barred cage, nothing could hold him. The zoo spent tens of thousands of dollars to have some rock climbers go through the enclosure and map out every toe hold and crevice. Then the engineers came in and did their best to remove the escape routes. This went on for several months. Ken never hurt anyone when he escaped, and general just hung around his enclosure, aping the spectators. He even taught the other orangs how to do it. For awhile when bfd was still in school, it was daily news. Sometimes Ken would wander around looking at other animals, but a crowd always followed him, so he never really went berzerk. As time went on, the escapes were finally foiled, but it took them about a year to stop completely.
Far more intelligent than his keepers (who went 'under cover' and posed as visitors - Ken would spot them immediately), the orang was a town legend. Everyone knew who Ken Allen was. Might not've known who the mayor was, but everyone knew about Ken Allen. For several years before he developed cancer and was euthanized, he learned to make paintings that the zoo auctioned off for hundreds of dollars.
It is really not that unusual for animals to get out of their enclosures. Here in SD, the extreme example of that was an orang named "Ken Allen" who constantly - as in daily - escaped from his enclosure. Besides a barred cage, nothing could hold him. The zoo spent tens of thousands of dollars to have some rock climbers go through the enclosure and map out every toe hold and crevice. Then the engineers came in and did their best to remove the escape routes. This went on for several months. Ken never hurt anyone when he escaped, and general just hung around his enclosure, aping the spectators. He even taught the other orangs how to do it. For awhile when bfd was still in school, it was daily news. Sometimes Ken would wander around looking at other animals, but a crowd always followed him, so he never really went berzerk. As time went on, the escapes were finally foiled, but it took them about a year to stop completely.
Far more intelligent than his keepers (who went 'under cover' and posed as visitors - Ken would spot them immediately), the orang was a town legend. Everyone knew who Ken Allen was. Might not've known who the mayor was, but everyone knew about Ken Allen. For several years before he developed cancer and was euthanized, he learned to make paintings that the zoo auctioned off for hundreds of dollars.