Chief Fong recent grad of Barney Fife Academy
...since a shoe was found inside the pit, and blood trail lead 300 ft to the other two, ya think there might be some human involvement?
Posted on 12/27/2007 10:18:04 AM PST by wardaddy
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The big cat exhibit at the San Francisco Zoo was cordoned off as a crime scene Wednesday as investigators tried to determine whether a Siberian tiger that killed a visitor escaped from its high-walled pen on its own or got help from someone, inadvertent or otherwise.
Police shot the 300-pound animal to death after a Christmas Day rampage that began when the tiger escaped from an enclosure surrounded by what zoo officials said are an 18-foot wall and a 20-foot moat. Two brothers who also were visiting the zoo were severely mauled.
Police Chief Heather Fong said the department has opened a criminal investigation to "determine if there was human involvement in the tiger getting out or if the tiger was able to get out on its own."
Police said they have not ruled anything out, including whether the escape was the result of carelessness or a deliberate act.
(AP) Tatiana, a female Siberian tiger that killed one person and injured two others, is seen in the lion... Full Image
Fong said officers were gathering evidence from the tiger's enclosure as well as accounts from witnesses and others.
One zoo official insisted the tiger did not get out through an open door and must have climbed or leaped out. But Jack Hanna, former director of the Columbus Zoo and a frequent guest on TV, said such a leap would be an unbelievable feat, and "virtually impossible."
"There's something going on here. It just doesn't feel right to me," he said. "It just doesn't add up to me."
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.myway.com ...
Sadly, even if the kid who got killed opened the door, it’ll still be the zoo’s liability for not making the door idiot proof.
Is it just me, or is anybody else wondering what the SFPD used to shoot this tiger? I can’t see a beat cop using his police issue 9mm to bring down a tiger. Just my take.....
I saw a news report that speculated someone angry with the kids hollering at the cat let it out.
That would not surprise me there.
I feel terrible for the tiger, not at all for the idiots.
I think they had .40’s. Better believe the one’s that showed up later had shotguns.
A .40 round would kill a tiger with a headshot no problem.
I bet the policemen who shot the animal see tigers in their sleep, though.
Why you bad tiger! We take you, stick you in cage all your life —unnatural sure...but so what...you just animal-—then you go and act on your natural instincts—even though teased? You bad tiger....we kill you.
One zoo official insisted the tiger did not get out through an open door and must have climbed or leaped out. But Jack Hanna, former director of the Columbus Zoo and a frequent guest on TV, said such a leap would be an unbelievable feat, and “virtually impossible.”
“There’s something going on here. It just doesn’t feel right to me,” he said. “It just doesn’t add up to me.”
I’ll take Jack Hanna’s opinion over the PR department of the Zoo in question every day of the week, and twice on Sunday’s.
I seriously doubt that lion escaped without a stupid biped helping.
Chief Fong recent grad of Barney Fife Academy
...since a shoe was found inside the pit, and blood trail lead 300 ft to the other two, ya think there might be some human involvement?
Four cops, four 9mm.
Or we throw them up on a Las Vegas stage with two guys in spangly jumpsuits parading around in front of them for the amusement of the crowd. Tigers 2 = Humans 0
There is also evidence that the tiger was taunted and tormented by the boys throwing rocks and sticks at it.
This all occurred after the zoo was closed and while the final patrons were exiting.
The only questions for me really are:
Another suspicious fact is that the two injured lads refused to give their names to police - indicating that something untoward was going on and/or that some rather unsavory lads are involved in this whole mess.
Shotgun with slugs? An AR-15 (use the whole clip!)?
Just a crazy theory here but I wonder if the "taunting" consisted of two young men dangling a third over the moat. The tiger in the moat makes an unexpected leap and catches hold of this person (knocking off the shoe in the process) and his terrified buddies haul him up...but also haul up a very angry cat. The tiger may have just needed a few feet of a "human ladder" to get up out of the moat.
Interesting post, thanks. I hadn’t heard that the two injured had refused to give their names to the police, which does sound suspicious.
Fawn, while I agree it is human failing that brought the cat to it’s death, I do not for a minute blame the officers who had to act.
What’s amazing to me is the distance the cat tracked the other 2 down. That was a kitty on a mission.
Also, they found sticks and stones in the moat as if someone had been throwing them at the tiger.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.