ANIMALS

Why Tigers Attack

Was it human error? The design of the new exhibit?

By Sarah Kliff and Nadine Joseph | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Dec 26, 2007 | Updated: 6:37  p.m. ET Dec 26, 2007

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  • Posted By: Tamaron2 @ 01/13/2009 12:17:20 PM

    Animals don't like to be in cages they want to be free what if you was an animal you want to be free!!!!!!!!!

  • Posted By: r.syed @ 02/06/2008 5:07:13 PM

    I want to bring your attention to a recent paper: Tiger tales: A critical Examination of the Tiger's Enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo (http://arxiv.org/abs/0801.4407)

  • Posted By: Tigerbutter @ 01/03/2008 12:57:32 PM

    I think the PETA people need to be caged.

    • Posted By: samo @ 01/06/2008 5:22:25 PM

      i think your exactly right about that

  • Posted By: samo @ 01/06/2008 5:20:59 PM

    the zoo is all blame for the wall. tigers like tatianna have a right to be wild as any wild animal the should have raech potentail hieght but failed therefore there to blame

  • Posted By: samo @ 01/06/2008 5:17:56 PM

    i think no matter what you cant tame a tiger if you do then the tiger could turnon you at any time.

    the zoo is to blame as the wall didnt reach the potenial hieght

    the kid is to also blame as he was taunting the tiger

  • Posted By: beliza @ 01/03/2008 4:51:25 PM

    I saw the father of the boy who was killed on the news. He said that it is wrong for a tiger to kill even if it is being taunted. Are you kidding me???!!! Attitudes like that are what leads parents to raise stupid kids doing stupid disrespectful things and getting themselves killed in the process. How about you teach your child that tauning anyone, whether animal or human, is wrong?! Then, you don't have to worry that they will grow up to be the type of person who goes up to a wild animal in captivity and taunts it. It a TIGER people! We shouldn't even have animals in captivity unless they can't survive on their own in the wild. They were here first! Respect them. I feel worse for the tiger being killed b/c of its natural instinct God gave it than for the boy who basically committed suicide.

  • Posted By: Pinelf @ 01/03/2008 11:11:53 AM

    Many speculate what should have or should not have been done. How a wild animal should or should not react. Who can really say what goes on in a 'caged' animal's mind when they rely and react on instinct. We as the human race have almost pushed away our instinct. We try to reason too much, use logic, or try to push human idealogies onto animals. No matter how you look at it, the human race is at fault. We do try to preserve, others try to profit, and yet others don't care. Many can speak and argue all they want, but actually do they make an impact? Do their actions show the same as they speak, or are they just speaking to be heard. Speaking and actions of a noble cause are worth more than a thousand 'name-calling' comments. We as a society no longer want to take responsibility for our actions, rather sue someone for our lack of responsibility. No, we can blame an innocent animal who has reacted naturally and was killed. Or we can investigate all possible angles and causes and take responsibility for our actions instead of passing the buck and trying to blame everyone else for our mistake.

    Humans are to blame for not completely estimating the wild animals reactions to every known situation? Look at our prisons, we can't even predict our own behaviour. Before we blame animals 'wild behaviour', perhaps we should look into our own! Any caged creature can become even more unpredictable.

    I feel sorry for the loss of life, on both the animal and the human side, but instead of pointing fingers to individuals, perhaps look at the whole picture.

  • Posted By: davidg40 @ 01/03/2008 11:01:10 AM

    Larry1936
    I don't aggree with you all the way,the guys involved in this by jumping in the enclosure were asking for it. come on. sorry I can't aggree with it ,if he fell in by accident fine and the resucres tried to help him thats another story . From what I understand the kid got braver than his life coud cash the check for and lost.. to bad for both sides though . just heard all cats there at the SF Zoo are unnderquarantine from the public exhibits until the Investigation is over came from radio news Interveiw with zooologist there. If I was a judge ruling on the lawsuits I'd consider throwing them out but after hearing hard evidence rather than circumstantial.

  • Posted By: davidg40 @ 01/03/2008 10:45:32 AM

    this seems to be a warning,let the animals stay in they wild there not ment to be caged up. I believe in preservation and conservation but a zoo is hardly that. there not pets, look at the man in vegas a couple yrs ago, out of the blue his white tiger attacked him during a on stage perfomance.

  • Posted By: davidg402007 @ 01/03/2008 10:39:53 AM

    maybe this is a warning .let these anmials be wild not caged, yes preservation is needed but zoos,are not my Idea of preservation

  • Posted By: Rajji @ 12/30/2007 5:33:09 PM

    There you go..you never cared to read my post but was in hurry to POST ur comment. Thats why i said and say again you have no banana clue of what is being discussed here.
    PS i never invited you to post your comment for my post so i dont feel any necessity to look at what you posted before as it has no relevence of what is being talked here. Period

    • Posted By: Antigone1000 @ 12/30/2007 5:41:22 PM

      Clearly, you didn't read what I wrote. And--if you don't want your postings challenged, then don't post on a message board. That is the whole point.

  • Posted By: Antigone1000 @ 12/30/2007 5:15:20 PM

    Rajji: You seem to be the one lacking a "banana clue" (whatever that might be). If you read MY previous post, I think you'll find that I asked absultely NO questions, out-of-context or otherwise.

  • Posted By: Rajji @ 12/30/2007 5:04:47 PM

    Antgone as far as i know you dont have a banana clue of what we are talking here. You might as well try a diff site or discussion board.
    And in case you are unable to...pls go throug my previous posts you'll find answers to your totally-out-of-context questions

  • Posted By: Antigone1000 @ 12/30/2007 1:52:27 PM

    Rajji: You act as though the tiger did something wrong, but she is the only one who absolutely did not. The zoo did, by failing to maintain a proper enclosure. The boys may have, by taunting a caged animal that could not get out (they thought). Society did by continuing to support the practice of caging and displaying wild animals for the benefit of humans. The tiger had no choice at all in the matter. She was caged and kept against her will. Once she got out, she did what any tiger would do. If you are so upset by this tragedy, then you may want to join PETA's campaign to encourage the zoo to close its tiger exhibit and move the animals to a sanctuary. That is the only way to completely ensure that this sort of thing does not happen again.

  • Posted By: Rajji @ 12/30/2007 4:39:19 AM

    Thanks to some ppl who still carry some common sense on their shoulders.
    For others i feel sad and total disappointed because however i tried my best i couldnt open their ears or minds.
    On the lighter side Ron Paul For Pope cracked me up for his comments.
    It was funny and made fun of the ppl who are unable to think outside the *bun*.
    And hey better yet
    how about that lady at the ticket counter providing a fully loaded rifle with the Zoo ticket.
    If you see any dangerous animal roaming around freely, take a shot. Also you can take it to your home and show to your friends that you HUNTED the animal in a ZOO. wow
    And if you have any more funny ideas post it...

  • Posted By: newsweekmod @ 12/29/2007 11:26:20 PM

    Rajji: You did not receive one because you are using logic toward illogical people. Most of these posters are members of PETA and see no difference between humans and animals. In fact they probably prefer animals over humans! I am sure that you have seen many of them are more concerned over the death of a tiger than a human, and that should be evidence you are not dealing with people with a full deck. You have posted well, and believe me you are in a majority when compared with the general population, just not on this PETA board! This is also a word to the wise for anyone else reading comments here. Do not waste your time.

    • Posted By: Antigone1000 @ 12/30/2007 2:47:01 AM

      Newsweekmod: You obviously have no logical argument to offer, so you resort to attacking other posters and, of course, attacking PETA. Interesting because PETA had no involvment in what happened at the zoo. As I have observed previously, the most articulate and intelligent arguments on here support the tiger. So--if those are all by PETA members, we may not have the majority of society, but at least we have the most intelligent segment of it.

  • Posted By: Ron Paul For Pope @ 12/30/2007 1:25:35 AM

    The only way we can safeguard big cat exhibits is to post even bigger dogs to guard them. With genetic engineering, I don't see why we can't design 20-ft tall German Shepherds to patrol the outside of the exhibits.

  • Posted By: Larry1936 @ 12/28/2007 5:46:54 PM

    The comments I see here are truly amazing. I'm an animal lover, and there are many times when humans should not be given the benefit of the doubt when conflicts between animals happen. This is NOT one of those times.

    There is no concrete evidence these boys did anything wrong. As always, the media has been irresponsible. Journalistic integrity is a thing of the distant past. First the wall's 20 feet tall, then 12. First the boys taunted the tiger, then there's nothing that indicated that. Nothing is substantiated before being reported anymore.

    The boys are victims and, yes, so is the tiger. As the scene played out, the tiger had to die. The zoo has NO EXCUSE for creating an environment where a huge and volatile carnivore can gain access to someone waving their arms, legs, taking a photograph, wearing red, or anything else any zoo visitor might do. The tiger cannot speak, so let's wait to pass judgment until we hear what the human survivors have to say.

    • Posted By: Antigone1000 @ 12/28/2007 6:17:52 PM

      I think we need to wait for the results of the investigation. If the boys did anything wrong, I highly doubt that they will admit to it.

      • Posted By: Larry1936 @ 12/29/2007 4:12:32 PM

        Fine, but this is just one more example of judgment without information.

        • Posted By: Antigone1000 @ 12/29/2007 8:11:12 PM

          Actually, it isn't without information. People on here are responding to information as it becomes available. The final determination of what happened hasn't been made yet, but people are discussing this issue as it unfolds.

    • Posted By: DocMWood1 @ 12/29/2007 2:03:21 PM

      "The zoo has NO EXCUSE for creating an environment where a huge and volatile carnivore can gain access to someone waving their arms, legs, taking a photograph, wearing red, or anything else..." Um, tell ya what. Why don't you go visit Alaska, maybe in the spring would be good. See this world for what it really is. The environment, this planet, is exactly where a carnivore can gain access to someone...that's what carnivores were made to do. Welcome to the real world, not the imaginary one where most people try to live. We can try to modify it, make things safer, but we can never make it to a place where there is no risk in the environment. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool and deserves to reap what they sow.

      • Posted By: Larry1936 @ 12/29/2007 4:06:20 PM

        Your comments only prove my point. Yes, there are plenty of dangerous places on the planet but most of them do not involve an admission fee. The wild animals that live there were not placed there by humans for the entertainment of other humans. Yes, anyone is a fool to taunt a wild animal under any circumstances. So what? Despite your comments to the contrary, I've still seen no credible report that that happened. If you have, please cite them.

  • Posted By: Rajji @ 12/29/2007 7:53:53 PM

    Thanks for the responses.
    But i am still wondering why some *reasonable* ppl finding hard to realize Zoo is a safe place to visit with your friends and family. ANIMALS DONT GET OUT TO GREET YOU however whatever the case may be. Thats the whole idea of making a Zoo.
    I heard the news of a SF woman telling that in the same enclosure 10 years back a different tiger *without provoking* managed to almost reach up to the surface with its front paw hanging just 4-5 feet away from that women's child, when the tiger crossed the moat. How would you explain that.
    So how would i rationalize my talk to guy(who is taunting)
    1.hey buddy, this is not a *fool proof system* so it might get out and tear the ass out of us.(totally illogical answer, i hate to admit. We are talking about a Zoo not an open Jungle, incase you missed the point)
    2.you know, how would you feel if you are being taunted everyday , wouldn???t you feel to come out and settle the score.
    Hold on did you mean to say it can COME OUT,COME OUT YOU REALLY MEAN BY THAT. how can you possibly say that.
    I am sorry about but i cannot help laughing by this *logical* answer

    So i got no success of any reasonable answer to the questions i posed in my previous post so i'll be wrapping it up.

    When you see a 350-pd Siberian tiger sitting next to somebody mauling your first instinct/job would be to save that person however you can how best you can neutralize the situation.
    We are not talking about putting a collar around its neck or medical examination
    This is a real life threatening situation where the tiger has already killed one person.
    So you may want to rethink on what you said.

  • Posted By: firepixie204 @ 12/29/2007 6:46:06 PM

    "But for zookeepers it is not particularly surprising: tigers have naturally aggressive and predatory instincts. So when a flaw in design or human error allows one to escape???two factors likely at play in San Francisco???a death is not altogether shocking. It's the rare but very real consequence of allowing humans to come in close contact with predatory animals. "

    So please tell me why these animals are being kept in zoos where people taunt them, then try to sue the zoo when they get injured. I'm not saying that the people who got injured did anything, but think of it this way: if you were in a cage all the time watching people scream, run, eat, and whatever else people do in zoos, would you not want to get out? And once the tiger got out, obviously it's going to attack people, its their natural instinct. All of these problems would be solved if the animals were left in their original habitats, away from annoying humans. Also, if you're going to have a zoo you should have precautions incase something did happen. The tiger did not need to be killed for acting on instinct. Although I understand that whoever shot it was acting whatever way he/she thought was best.

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