The holidays are supposed to be a time for family and joy. The Sousa family in San Jose will remember this Christmas forever -- 17-year-old Carlos Sousa died from a tiger attack in San Francisco zoo on Christmas Day. The 300-pound Siberian tiger, named Tatiana, also attacked two young men before the police shot her. This is not the first time Tatiana has attacked humans -- in 2006, she mauled a zoo keeper's arm in front of a crowd.San Franciscans are outraged by the attack, some even commented on the San Francisco Chronicle Web site that the zoo should be closed. Police and zoo officials don't know if Tatiana escaped because of human intervention or if she jumped over a 14-foot-high wall.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom called on zoo officials to make immediate changes. "The mayor expects immediate improvements in protocols and facilities so that tragedies such as this never happen again," said Newsom's spokesman Nathan Ballard. The zoo director said they will install surveillance cameras and a new metal barriers for the tigers and lions.
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See sponsored links for: endangered species, zoology, zoo travel.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1. this is bad mayne.
Posted at 9:14PM on Dec 27th 2007 by Nikki
2. I have been watching FOX for years, and for the first time I was horrified at what I heard this morning from your legal council. He is wrong when he says that zoos are for our children to "tantalize the animals within"....zoos are for our children to observe our animals. Then he goes on to say that the "Tatiana had "no right" to attack the people at the concession stand...........well....sorry. nobody explained the US rights to Tatiana...and she reacted as a wild animal will do......point is......we as humans should respect and protect animals......and if you are stupid enough to mess with a 300 lb tiger, then you will suffer the consequences!
Posted at 9:29PM on Dec 27th 2007 by KarenG.
3. There are billions of people in this world and only a few tigers. Why kill the poor endangered tiger. Wait for a tranquilizer dart to become available and subdue the tiger. If the tiger eats 20 or 30 people while waiting for the dart availability, oh well. We certainly don't have a problem making more people. Just go to any high school in this country and you will find several pregnant teens. What a shame. We killed a precious tiger to save a few people.
Posted at 1:46PM on Dec 28th 2007 by stevewiz9
4. Zoos should be abolished as antiquated symbols of a society that has not evolved intellectually enoung to know that these magnificent animals belong in the wild. They are not born to neurotically pace in confined habitats for the pleasure of self indulgent people who have total disregard for the rights of the animals. Some are natural born killers, but they eat what they kill unlike the sicko humans who collect trophies and call it sport. If an animal escapes it's confines in a zoo, it does what it was born to do. That magnificent endangered animal was murdered because we took her from her home and put her in prison. All they have is their flesh and their fur and humans usually find a way to take that from them too. If you want to see an animal, go to a sanctuary or where the animal lives. The big cats constantly pace, the elephants die from ulcerations resulting from the inability to roam, and all in those caged torture chambers suffer. We look on with our spoiled brats, a coke and popcorn. It's time to take the lives of the Earth's creatures seriously and with the respect they deserve. We have a lot to learn from them. Tatiana did not kill or harm anyone. We did it!!! What a sad commentary on a society that seems to be unable to learn outside it's own gluttony and domination of the members of a more peaceable kingdom. Leave them alone!
Susan F.
Posted at 2:05AM on Dec 30th 2007 by Susan F.
5. the kids had been intoxicated and had marijuana possesion and shouldn't the guys be arrested 1 under aged drinking and giving the under aged kids alchol and two for marijuana possesion!! they really need to keep sticking to that
Posted at 9:15AM on Jan 23rd 2008 by alexis
6. from the information that i have read , and heard . i believe that those boys might have been trying to play with or possibly steal one of the tiger cubs from those tigers , if that is what happened , then they got what they wanted and deserved , and may all wild animals be released back into the wild where they belong someday
Posted at 2:25PM on Feb 29th 2008 by scooter
7. Hot searches? Wow, I found one. You! LOL Cutie by far
Posted at 1:32AM on Mar 7th 2008 by George