[FEL-L] SF tiger attack

[Jungletouch]

Here is the front page link on the Tiger story. The first sentence will tell
exactly how this article is media hype. It goes something like this.


The tiger ate her hand. It slowly proceeded to eat the rest of her arm."
That's how Vikram Chari described the horrifying spectacle that he and his
6-year-old son witnessed at the San Francisco Zoo on the Friday before
Christmas, when a Siberian tiger named Tatiana attacked her keeper.



Click the link below to read the rest if you dare.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/01/MNG3CNB93Q1.DTL&
hw=Tiger&sn=004&sc=825a

Gary
707-874-1146
Jungletouch at comcast.net
www.jungletouchexotics.com
  -----Original Message-----
  From: felines-l-bounces at catbox.com [mailto:felines-l-bounces at catbox.com]On
Behalf Of PureRaine at aol.com
  Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2007 1:55 PM
  To: felines-l at catbox.com
  Subject: Re: [FEL-L] SF tiger attack




  This front page "news article" appeared on the SF Chronicle on New Years
Day as "sensationalism" - something to stir up the public against exotic
animals. The family had requested the keepers name not be used, yet the
yellow journalism reporter felt free to identify the keeper as well as
personal information. This eye witness report was held back until an "expert
animal behaviorist" could comment and flesh out the article. News reporters
like this one, are leeches and vultures who have no common sense, decency or
respect for others privacy. They would rather make a situation worse than to
be helpful.

  I understand when this happened, local news helicopters flew above the zoo
grounds -  terrified the other animals - in an attempt to "get the story".
Like they say, falling off a horse isn't sensational enough.

  Over 3 years ago, I "adopted" a pair of African Lion cubs at the SF Zoo,
and am very familiar with their Big Cat Feeding Tuesday through Sunday. I
visit all the fur kids very week.  The "mauling" did NOT happen DURING the
feeding, it happened after the cats had been fed. Tatiana, the young 3 year
old Siberian tiger is just that - a young playful animal, who was, probably
playing. Tatiana has only been "on display" at the SF Zoo for 7 months or
so. She's not aggressive. (well, all the cats are aggressive during feeding
time, but not afterwards).  The keeper could've had blood on her hands, the
keeper could've been "hand-feeding" a treat and Tatiana reached out.

  The Lion House caging is old, and has not been renovated in any way. The
"gutter" the article described is the space between the cages and the
public - approximately 4 feet wide where the keeper rolls a wheel barrel
containing tubs of weighed meals for the different cats during feeding time.
There is a moving slot that swings back so the food can be dropped inside
the cage. The bar set of all the cages is the same - I think Tatiana was
able to reach her arms underneath the bar set, I'd say at least a 6 to 8
inch gap between the bar set and the cement flooring of the cage.

  I'm not saying that zoo's are right, but I'm just trying to clarify some
of this.

  sos
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