Blog Post

Tiger Attack at the San Francisco Zoo


December 26, 2007
Topic: Animal Attacks

No matter how old you are, a visit to the zoo is always a delightful experience, or at least it should be. For one unfortunate visitor to the San Francisco Zoo, what should have been a fun filled day at the zoo, turned into the last day of his life. In a nightmarish incident that has made headlines around the world, the man was attacked by Tatiana, the resident Siberian tiger at the zoo.

Details are still a little sketchy at this point, but we gather that Tatiana, who was out in her pen for a stroll, managed to jump the 15-foot moat.

When emergency services were called, they managed to evacuate the zoo, but were too late to save the man. They found him lying dead near the tiger's enclosure with another man, dazed and bloodied from the brutal attack, lying near a nearby cafe. Tatiana attempted to attack the second man again, upon which time the police shot her dead.

This was not the first time Tatiana has displayed flashes of temperament. Last year, a keeper at the zoo had her hand mauled badly when Tatiana reached out through the bars and grabbed her arm, in full view of a horrified audience who had gathered to witness the feeding ritual. After that incident, the zoo made changes to increase security for its keepers by adding a separate feeding enclosure. Too bad they didn't take the same precautions with the lives and safety of visitors.

Meanwhile the two men injured have been listed as in critical condition, and are being treated at the San Francisco General Hospital.

Already the dust is being raised by just about everybody who has an axe to grind on the issue. The blogosphere is abuzz with animal rights activists demanding animals not be kept in forced captivity.

In this incident, the tiger was just being... well, a tiger. You can't expect ferocious animals to behave like humans. What you can do however is make sure visitors to your zoo have all the protection they need.

The real question for us should be, how safe is the zoo? And how safe are zoos all over the country? Should we be worried that we'll turn into a feline's lunch every time we take our families to see their favorite animals? Who is to be held accountable in this tragedy? San Francisco Zoo officials are busy wringing their hands helplessly, and one day after the tragedy no one seems to have a clue as to what exactly happened. How did a 350-pound tiger manage to escape her enclosure?

Negligence is definitely a possibility, investigators claim.

If you or a loved-one has been injured or killed in an animal attack, contact the California personal injury lawyers at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.


The California personal injury attorneys at The Reeves Law Group represent victims of accidents, injuries and wrongful death throughout California from our offices in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, Fresno County, Kern County, Sacramento County, San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, Antelope Valley, Torrance, Glendale, Bakersfield, Santa Ana, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Ontario, and Victorville.