San Fran Zoo Tiger Attack

[PTRMAN]

Hey, I like that idea! A true wild game park in the middle of the city! Like a small piece of the real world. Charge an arm and a leg (not literally) for admission, arm the visitors, and turn 'em loose. Whoever makes it out alive can keep whatever they kill.

[screwballl]

The local zoo here has a mini train that goes through open range area where all sorts of animals roam freely... but none of them are considered dangerous... of course all it takes is one incident or one person taunting the animals to get the zoo in trouble and everyone suffers.
so it begs the question, should people not be allowed to interact with animals and close all zoos? most of them are smart enough to get out of almost any enclosure, most animals will find a way to get out or die trying if they really wanted to.
I have seen my own housecat jump from the floor to the top of the 6 foot tall fridge so whats to say a 8 foot tiger cant jump a 20 foot wall?

I believe this is about personal responsibility since the zoo has already taken reasonable steps that has worked for years.

In this and many other cases, people are the dumb animals, not the other way around.

[Jokerswild]

I think that getting rid of zoo's is a good idea. There's no need to put these wild animals in captivity. Get rid of the wild animals in the circus too while we're at it. As far as suing the zoo I see no problem in that as long as it's just to get changes made to ensure safety and not for profit. Sometimes lawsuits are the only way to get companies and municipalities to do the right thing.

[screwballl]

thats the problem.... the animal was provoked, the animal did what it knows how to do to protect itself, almost no amount of safeguards can be done to protect 100% of people 100% of the time.

[Jokerswild]

When was the animal provoked? Before or after it got out of the enclosure? The way it was explained originally was the people attacked were in a restaurant.

[screwballl]

thats the problem... there are several stories so everything is speculation... did the animal get out first and then was provoked? or did the drunkards provoke it and then the cat jumped out?
If they were drunk and high, I suspect they provoked the cat and later denied it...

[PTRMAN]

I heard that some people hid in a restaurant, but the tiger apparently left its compound and immediately attacked the kids.

[screwballl]

FOXNews.com - San Francisco Zoo Tiger Attack Victim Admits Drinking, Taunting Animal, Police Say

One of the three victims of San Francisco Zoo tiger attack was intoxicated and admitted to yelling and waving at the animal while standing atop the railing of the big cat enclosure, police said in court documents filed Thursday.

so sue him and his friends for taunting the animals and use that money to make the wall taller

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by onebxr on page 2

The Zoo should sue the kids families that were attacked for provoking the tiger. The zoo should then take the money won from the settlement and fix the wall.

Originally Posted by screwballl on page 3

so sue him and his friends for taunting the animals and use that money to make the wall taller

Or better yet, sue the agitators and then use the settlement money to build a higher wall!

[Reloadron]

Originally Posted by One4yu2c

Up until a tiger leaped over it (maybe - see above). THIS time the 'victims' were apparently the agitators, but what about next time?


That's always a given, but my viewpoint is that precautions need to be taken to protect the innocent from the actions of the stupid. If that means a higher wall that meets the recommended minimum, then so be it. If it's ultimately determined that the tiger made the leap, then I'd be heartily disappointed if safeguards weren't taken to prevent the possibility of a similar incident occuring again. Next time, the victim could be a small child's first visit to the zoo, or a newborn along for the ride, etc.

Well Paul, I guess on some of all this we agree and on some we don't quite see eye to eye. I am not that big on protecting people from themselves nor do I see where any form of government should be charged with that responsibility. Maybe the retaining wall was adequate and maybe it wasn't. It functioned fine right till...

As to a child. I can't see responsible parents placing their child in harms way by taunting any animal anywhere or anytime. I just don't see crys of "the system failed" as an answer in this particular case.

This is one of those things that will play out in court. Was the animal taunted? A footprint o a rail is a good indicator it was.

Looking at the history, how many tigers have escaped and killed people? That same retaining wall was adequate when countless people passed it with children, infants and whatever. The question is did the zoo place visitors in an unsafe environment? My guess is no. Purely my guess and my thoughts.

Even if every zoo in the country now increases their protection by retaining walls, someone stupid will manage to circumvent the safety barricade and we have DejaVue all over again. My life experience has shown me nothing is foolproof as fools are ingenious people. I just figure let fools be held accountable for their actions.

Ron