Breaking on CNN - Tiger kills zoo patron in San Francisco

[Poiuyt]

An escaped tiger kills a zoo patron in a cafe at the San Francisco Zoo, a spokeswoman for the San Francisco Fire Department tells CNN.

CNN.com

[americanstranger]

1. From Reuters...

Four tigers escaped from their cage at the San Francisco Zoo on Tuesday, and one of them killed a visitor and injured two people, according to local news reports.

Police shot and killed the tiger, said ABC station KGO-TV. The other three were captured and returned to their cage.

The injured visitors were taken to a hospital and listed in serious but stable condition, the station said.

The attacks happened about 5 p.m. local time (8 p.m. EST), and the zoo was evacuated.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2533572920071226

--

- as

[Poiuyt]

2. Corrected info says just one tiger

SAN FRANCISCO - A tiger escaped its cage at the San Francisco Zoo on Tuesday, killing a visitor and injuring two others, a newspaper reported.

The tiger was shot, San Francisco Fire Department spokesman Lt. Ken Smith told the San Francisco Chronicle. It was not immediately clear how the tiger escaped.

Officials at first worried that four tigers had escaped, but only one left its pen, Smith told the Chronicle.

more

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22395368/

[aquart]

3. Fire that keeper. Now.

[NNN0LHI]

4. Update: Bush administration says not terror related but to be scared like hell anyway

That is all.

Don

[TwilightGardener]

5. Sad. I feel bad for both the victim and the tiger--he was just doing what

tigers do. Maybe the zoo was short-staffed because of Christmas?

[Bluebear]

6. Here she is . . .

The late Tatiana. And as you say, can you imagine the victim? One minute enjoying an overpriced cup of coffee and then RRRROAR!! Horrible all around.

[Heidi]

7. What a beautiful cat.

I agree. Sad situation all the way around. (I'm a cat lover, but I would _not_ want to be facing those giant paws. Yikes.)

[ProfessorGAC]

34. Beautiful, Yes. Also, VERY, VERY BIG!

That would not be my idea of an up close and personal moment. Man, that is one big kitty.
The Professor

[TwilightGardener]

8. Aww. Beautiful animal, but I would sure hate to meet that particular

kitty in a dark alley. Or a cafe. Can't imagine being a relative of that poor victim and having to call everyone to tell them, "She was eaten by a tiger at the zoo on Christmas day." Just a bizarre way to go.

[LisaL]

41. Those are some big paws.

[book_worm]

42. that tiger also almost tore somebody's arm off last year

they really should have made sure the tiger was secure.

[LisaL]

14. I don't think tigers normally attack people.

[Marrah_G]

20. Even wild attacks are not unheard of. They are rare now because there are so few left

[LisaL]

35. Granted, most of my knowledge about man eating tigers comes

from reading Maugli, but it's not normal for tigers to be attacking people in the wild. Those tigers that do attack people are hunted down and killed.

[Kingshakabobo]

37. They've developed a taste for woodcutters in India.

I remember seeing a story on national geographic about it. Some woodcutters wear human face masks on the backs of their heads to try and negate the tiger's instinct for sneak attacking from behind.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/071017/48/6m2sw.html

Increasing tiger attacks trigger panic around Tadoba-Andhari reserve


Fifty-year-old Sonabai Gurnule from Sonapur village was working in a farm with some other villagers when a tiger, hiding in the fully grown paddy crop, pounced on her from behind. Other farmers raised an alarm, forcing the tiger to run into the forest, just 20 metres from the farm, but not before killing Sonabai.
Raibhan Shende (45) from Yenoli (Mal) village, about 3 km from Sonapur, was lucky. "I was in my paddy farm removing the grass when suddenly a tiger attacked me. Luckily, I had a sharp-edged cutter in my hand and I tried to fight the tiger with it. Some villagers working in their farms saw me and raised an alarm, forcing the tiger to run away. However, the tiger managed to injure me badly," Raibhan told The Indian Express, showing his wounds caused by tiger nails.

On Monday, Ramesh Kulmethe from neighbouring Kacchepar village also got mauled by a leopard. He is recovering in a Chandrapur hospital.

Sonabai is among the 20 people who were killed while Raibhan and Ramesh are among the eight lucky survivors residing near the forest around Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) who were attacked by the animals in the past 22 months.

Strikingly, 11 of the 20 deaths have happened in a small belt between Nagbhid and Sindewahi tehsils on the northeastern side of TATR. Here, all affected villages aren't more than 30 km from each other, if connected by a straight line.

The forest officials are equally alarmed. "We have a serious situation on hand," said Principal Chief Conservator of Forest B Majumdar.

"We will have to study the problem more closely. Over the years, population in the surrounding villages has increased manifold. People are venturing out deeper into the forests for tendu, mahua, firewood etc, which brings them into conflict with a sizeable tiger population," Majumdar said.

....more at the link...

Here's a video of an attack on park staff I found while searching for a link. I guess that's what it looks like to be on the business end of a tiger attack.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LjG7S8aqJg&NR=1

[LeftCoast]

9. Oh no! One of the keepers already lost an arm to one of the tigers

The zoo isn't that far from me. This is so sad.

Edited to add:

Looks like it's the same tiger! Here's a link with more info: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/25/BA0LU4M2T.DTL&tsp=1

[LisaL]

13. Yep. The article says it's the same tiger.

Sure looks like she did not like people.

[Tesha]

16. Actually, she apparently did. Even without some fava beans and a nice Chianti.

> Sure looks like she did not like people.

Actually, she apparently did. Even without some fava beans
and a nice Chianti.

Tesha

[KittyWampus]

39. Tesha gets a trout-smacking! that was baaaaaad.

groaning still...

[Hoof Hearted]

10. How sad for all of them. It's just all wrong.

We shouldn't have to try to ensure the endangered of the planet in shit-hole artificial environments.

[LeftCoast]

11. The really sad thing is

They just upgraded the tiger area. It's actually very nice (for a zoo).

I just don't know what this means for the zoo. This incident is pretty horrific. If they can't guarantee patron safety, I can't see anyone going there - I sure as hell won't until they figure all this out.

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. Hard to believe a zoo visitor would get killed by tiger in AMERICA!

When I first saw the headline I thought it be a story from another country. Getting killed in a cafe by a tiger in SF? What the heck?

[Marrah_G]

21. Accidents happen

It's sad, but at least it is not a common event.

[readmoreoften]

15. How long before fundie preachers blame teh gay?

What a terrible, bizarre death.

[earth mom]

17. Wow this is awful!

Our family is big time into wild animals and go to the zoo or wild animal parks often. Makes you wonder about the security of any zoo or wild animal park. :(

[Vinca]

18. It's a shame they couldn't have tranquilized the tiger.

After all, it's the zoo's fault their enclosure was built in a way that allowed them to get out and the tigers were doing what tigers do. I'm sorry for the zoo visitor, but I'm also sad they killed such a magnificent animal.

[EFerrari]

22. It sounds as if when they shot her, she was sitting on another victim

and chewing on his face.

Three kids barely out of their teens.

[MonkeyFunk]

23. Yeah, it is

but it had already attacked 3 people, and was now headed toward the police.

No tranquilizer is instantaneous - they really didn't have a choice.

[Marrah_G]

24. This is the second attack on humans.

I absolutely love Tigers, but I would have put this one down also. Breaks my heart but would you risk another person's life?

[Vinca]

26. You all are right, of course, but the only thing sadder than seeing

a caged wild animal is a slaughtered wild animal. The key word here being "wild."

[Marrah_G]

28. It brought tears to my eyes also

[EFerrari]

32. I know. It's not her fault she wound up in the middle of San Francisco.

:(

[Marrah_G]

33. She most likely would not have survived in the wild either

[LisaL]

30. Wild tigers that attack people would get killed also.

Haven't you ever heard about man eating tigers? They'd get hunted down and killed.

[LisaL]

31. They probably should have put her down after she attacked

her keeper.
Had they done it, this man would have been alive,and the other two wouldn't have been mauled.

[Marrah_G]

38. The difference there was that the Keeper made some serious mistakes

I believe that is why she was not put down and even the keeper blamed herself and asked that the cat be allowed to live.

[LisaL]

36. The same animal previously attacked her keeper.

Then she managed to kill one person and attack the other two. Sooner or later somebody gotta learn that this animal was too dangerous for people to be around it.

[book_worm]

43. let's see this tiger tore somebody's arm off last year, had just killed somebody and was seriously

attacking two other people and it's such a shame they couldnt' just tranquilize the poor tiger?

[dancingme]

19. Who goes to the zoo on Christmas?

asked by Atrios

http://atrios.blogspot.com/

[Tesha]

25. The same sorts who go to the movies.

> Who goes to the zoo on Christmas?

The same sorts who go to the movies.

Yesterday, Mr. Tesha and I enjoyed The Golden Compass.

Tesha

[KittyWampus]

40. how did you like the Golden Compass?

[EnviroBat]

27. We have a beatiful light display at our zoo.

It's a great place to walk around on Christmas eve. Oddly enough, when we were there this year, I had this strange thought about one of the Moutain Lions getting lose. We were walking on a quiet trail through the zoo, and there weren't many people around as it started getting close to closing time. I had this eerie thought that if the Mountain Lion had gotten lose, we wouldn't have known about it until it was too late.
Freaky shit. I love to scare myself...

[book_worm]

44. why not? you just don't go to the zoo expecting to be attacked by a wild tiger.

[Retrograde]

45. lots of people

judging by the number of cars I saw near the SF zoo yesterday. And the parks were packed,too. I'm a docent at the SF Botanical Garden, and I never saw more people there at one time than I did on my tour yesterday. The weather was particularly good for this time of year: not too cold and windy, sunny and crisp. Much too nice to be indoors.

[Bombtrack]

29. this should be excuse enough to bomb Detroit

and burn all your Frosted Flakes.

[IntravenousDemilo]

46. "Albert Comes Back", by Marriott Edgar

You've `eard `ow young Albert Ramsbottom
At the zoo up at Blackpool one year
With a stick with an `orse's `ead `andle
Gave a lion a poke in the ear?

The name of the lion was Wallace,
The poke in the ear made `im wild
And before you could say, "Bob's yer uncle!"
E'd upped and `e'd swallowed the child.

`E were sorry the moment `e done it;
With children `e'd always been chums,
And besides, `e'd no teeth in his muzzle,
And `e couldn't chew Albert on't gums.

`E could feel the lad movin' inside `im
As `e lay on `is bed of dried ferns;
And it might `ave been little lad's birthday-
'E wished `im such `appy returns.

But Albert kept kickin' and fightin'...
And Wallace got up, feelin' bad.
Decided 'twere time that `e started
To stage a comeback for the lad.

Then puttin' `ead down in one corner,
On `is front paws `e started to walk;
And `e coughed, and `e sneezed, and `e gargled
`Till Albert shot out... like a cork!

Now Wallace felt better directly
And `is figure once more became lean.
But the only difference with Albert
Was `is face and `is `ands were quite clean.

Meanwhile Mr. and Mrs. Ramsbottom
`Ad gone back to their tea, feelin' blue.
Ma said, "I feel down in the mouth, like.
" Pa said, "Aye, I bet Albert does, too."

Said Mother, "It just goes to show yer
That the future is never revealed;
If I'd thowt we was goin' to lose `im,
I'd `ave not `ad `is boots soled and `eeled."

"Let's look on the bright side," said Father,
"Wot can't be `elped must be endured;
Each cloud `as a silvery lining,
And we did `ave young Albert insured."

A knock on the door came that moment
As Father these kind words did speak.
`Twas the man from Prudential - `e'd come for
Their tuppence per person per week.

When Father saw `oo `ad been knockin',
`E laughed, and `e kept laughin` so -
The man said, "`Ere, wot's there to laugh at?"
Pa said, "You'll laugh an' all when you know!"

"Excuse `im for laughing," said Mother,
"But really, things `appen so strange
Our Albert's been et by a lion;
You've got to pay us for a change!"

Said the young man from the Prudential,
"Now, come, come, let's understand this...
You don't mean to say that you've lost `im?"
Pa said, "Oh, no, we know where `e is!"

When the young man `ad `eard all the details,
A purse from `is pocket he drew
And `e paid them with interest and bonus
The sum of nine pounds, four and two.

Pa `ad scarce got `is `and on the money
When a face at the window they see
And Mother cried, "Eee, look, it's Albert!"
And Father said, "Aye, it would be."

Albert came in all excited,
And started `is story to give;
And Pa said, "I'll never trust lions
Again, not as long as I live."

The young man from the Prudential
To pick up the money began
But Father said, "`ere, wait a moment,
Don't be in a `urry, young man."

Then giving young Albert a shilling,
`E said, "`Ere, pop off back to the zoo;
Get your stick with the `orse's `ead `andle...
Go and see wot the tigers can do!"