Officials are trying to figure out how a tiger that killed a 17-year-old boy and injured two others got out of its enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo, which police are now treating as a crime scene.
The female Siberian tiger, Tatiana, who last year attacked a zookeeper, escaped on Christmas Day, killing the teen and mauling two others before police shot and killed her.
Tatiana the Siberian tiger killed one man and mauled two others before police shot her on Christmas Day.
(San Francisco Zoo/Associated Press)
On Wednesday, the San Francisco medical examiner's office identified the young victim as Carlos Sousa of San Jose, Calif. The San Francisco Chronicle said the other two who were attacked were brothers, and friends of Sousa.
The brothers were upgraded to stable condition Wednesday at San Francisco General Hospital after surgery to have their wounds cleaned and closed, said Dr. Rochelle Dicker, a surgeon. They suffered deep bites and claw cuts on their heads, necks, arms and hands.
The 140-kilogram animal was in an enclosure with a five-metre-wide moat and six-metre-high walls, yet zoo official Robert Jenkins said the tiger must have climbed or leaped out of the area.
"There was no way out through the door," he maintained.
But police are viewing the area as a potential crime scene because they don't know whether the tiger escaped through human action or by itself, said San Francisco police Chief Heather Fong.
Officials are also investigating whether the three taunted the tiger.
Police arrived at the zoo shortly after 5 p.m. local time and found Sousa, mauled to death, near the tiger's pen.
The tiger was about 300 metres away, sitting next to a man who was bleeding from his head, Ocean Beach police spokesman Steve Mannina said.
"The tiger re-engaged the victim. As the officers moved even closer, the tiger focused its attention on the officers. It started coming toward the officers. That's when the officers fired."
Last year, Tatiana lashed out at a zookeeper, ripping the woman's arm during a public feeding demonstration inside a cage.
Related
Internal Links
Video
- Chris Brown reports for CBC-TV (Runs: 2:46)
- Play: Real Media »
- Play: QuickTime »
More World Headlines »
- Everest climber Sir Edmund Hillary dead at 88
- Sir Edmund Hillary, who, along with Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, became the first person to climb the summit of Mount Everest, has died. He was 88.
- Bush hopes to seal Mideast peace deal before his term ends
- U.S. President George W. Bush says he believes Israeli and Palestinian leaders understand the urgency of Mideast peace and that he's confident there will be a deal by the time he leaves office.
- 2 women held by Colombian rebels freed after 6 years
- Two women held hostage by Colombian rebels for more than six years were freed Thursday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said.
- New Mexico's Bill Richardson drops presidential bid
- New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has dropped his bid to become the first Hispanic president of the United States, quitting a Democratic field led by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
- Kerry, who lost to Bush in 2004, endorses Obama
- John Kerry, the Democrat who failed to unseat George W. Bush in 2004, has endorsed Barack Obama as the party's 2008 presidential candidate.
World Features
Blog Watch
Most Blogged about CBC.ca Articles
Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - link will open in new window