Tiger Mauling
What a horrific Christmas story. A tiger escapes from its confines and kills a 17 year old boy and injures his two friends at the San Francisco Zoo before police shoot the big cat to death.
Now there is a report that the three friends may have been taunting the tiger since blood and a shoe was found between the fence and moat. This has led some people to have sympathy for the Tiger. Others don't think animals should be in zoos anyway. Hey spoilsports, where are we supposed to see tigers then?
Monty Cox, a tiger trainer and animal wrangler, discounts the taunting theory because Tigers in a zoo or taunted every day. He says the distance was too far anyway for a cat to go after someone for teasing it. But I think this is a silly road to go down. Animal lovers will say, "See, those boys got what they deserved for taunting that animal." But who's to say what's taunting to a tiger? Eating a damn hot dog might taunt a hungry tiger. Fumbling with a camera taking its picture might taunt it. Or your cologne might antagonize it. Or if you're fat as hell, you make look like a walking, talking meal to the animal.
The point is the tiger was just being a tiger. They're dangerous. Wild animals are dangerous. If they weren't, there would be no need for cages and enclosures and the like.
The real question is why doesn't a big zoo like San Francisco have extensive video surveillance cameras throughout the park? Why did they have to wait for the cops to arrive? Other zoos have rifle teams on site just for this kind of emergency. Why aren't there emergency lights that illuminate the whole zoo at night in case something escapes?
Let's answer those questions. Let's correct the problem. And it is a rare problem.
What I don't want to see is PETA and people like them go on another bender talking about closing zoos. Millions visit zoos each year and raise millions of dollars for animal conservation. There are more Siberian tigers in captivity than in the wild. They do a lot of good at educating the public. Some of my fondest memories as a child were visits to the Norfolk Zoo. I want there to be places that treat animals well and that are safe for both the animals and the humans, so other kids can have the positive experience that I had as a kid.
Now there is a report that the three friends may have been taunting the tiger since blood and a shoe was found between the fence and moat. This has led some people to have sympathy for the Tiger. Others don't think animals should be in zoos anyway. Hey spoilsports, where are we supposed to see tigers then?
Monty Cox, a tiger trainer and animal wrangler, discounts the taunting theory because Tigers in a zoo or taunted every day. He says the distance was too far anyway for a cat to go after someone for teasing it. But I think this is a silly road to go down. Animal lovers will say, "See, those boys got what they deserved for taunting that animal." But who's to say what's taunting to a tiger? Eating a damn hot dog might taunt a hungry tiger. Fumbling with a camera taking its picture might taunt it. Or your cologne might antagonize it. Or if you're fat as hell, you make look like a walking, talking meal to the animal.
The point is the tiger was just being a tiger. They're dangerous. Wild animals are dangerous. If they weren't, there would be no need for cages and enclosures and the like.
The real question is why doesn't a big zoo like San Francisco have extensive video surveillance cameras throughout the park? Why did they have to wait for the cops to arrive? Other zoos have rifle teams on site just for this kind of emergency. Why aren't there emergency lights that illuminate the whole zoo at night in case something escapes?
Let's answer those questions. Let's correct the problem. And it is a rare problem.
What I don't want to see is PETA and people like them go on another bender talking about closing zoos. Millions visit zoos each year and raise millions of dollars for animal conservation. There are more Siberian tigers in captivity than in the wild. They do a lot of good at educating the public. Some of my fondest memories as a child were visits to the Norfolk Zoo. I want there to be places that treat animals well and that are safe for both the animals and the humans, so other kids can have the positive experience that I had as a kid.
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