Remember back on Christmas Day the news broke that a tiger had broken free of its enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo and attacked three young men leaving two injured and one dead from the mauling??The tiger was "destroyed" (KILLED) by zoo security staff almost immediately ...
As the story unfolded from headline to headline it was revealed that the enclosure was sub-standard, and the presentation was that the young men were simply there ...
Today a story on the web (I have to wonder WHERE the bold headlines are for THIS news item) reveals that the young men had been drinking and smoking pot prior to heading into the Zoo, AND witnesses have come forward with the contention that three young men were seen taunting the tiger just prior to the attack. (Click here to read the story)
This is not to deny the tragedy of this incident. A family is clearly left grieving and a young life has been cut short ... not too mention the destruction of a majestic animal that was simply acting on instinct ... and it in no way exonerates the Zoo for inadequate enclosures ... BUT somewhere along the line it has been forgotten that the TIGER was (as are ALL animals in Zoos) a WILD animal.
A tiger is designed by nature as an efficient hunter ... THEY eat meat, and human beings, despite our veneer of civility remain nothing more than a walking take out meal in the eyes of felines the size and scale of lions and tigers.
It is a tragedy that the young man died and his friends were grievously wounded ... but let's be willing to hold them to account for being stupid enough to taunt a tiger while we hold the zoo to account for not ensuring such tragedies CAN'T happen ... it's ALL about responsibility ... and these three young men were being tragically irresponsible with horrid consequences.
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