(no subject)

[waterspyder]

http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=w1227117A

By most accounts, some asshat was taunting a tiger, who then jumped out and mauled the guy. Officials seem fairly shocked that the tiger could jump out of the enclosure.

About three years ago I was talking with the Siberian Tiger Zoo Keeper at the Metro Toronto Zoo who said very simply that their two males could easily jump the barricade and escape, but because their territory is inside the enclosure, and the enclosure is the only world they've known, they are very unlikely to do so. He said that this extends so far that if they were to leave the enclosure gate open, it would probably take several days before the tigers would venture outside.

So while visiting zoos, be quiet observers, don't dangle limbs (food) at carnivores.

Comments

[corradus.livejournal.com]

I wonder if these three idiots have ever done anything like that before. Seems to me to be the sort of thing that one plans after one has already taunted other critters and gotten away with it. On the other hand it could simply have been a 'Jackass' moment. Either way, stupid humans drive a carnivore to rage and it's the poor tiger who pays the price with her life.

It's no wonder animal rights activists seem so damn irrational sometimes. Situations like this can't help. Tiger is minding her own business, fuckin' idiots come along and goad it, tiger does what comes naturally, tiger is killed. Stupid humans brought this on themselves, tiger has to pay the price, and we don't even blink about it.

Personally I think we should have kept the tiger alive and shot the other two stupid humans.

[zenten.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure that all the humans hurt did the taunting. If they did then I'm inclined to side with you on this though.