More on Tiger Attack

"I think it could be feasible for a cat that has been taunted or angered," Jack Hanna, former director of the Columbus Zoo, said Thursday. "I don't think it would ever just do it to do it."

I am inclined to agree with this guy! There is now talk of a shoe and blood found inside the enclosure and a shoe print on the enclosure railing. How accurate this is I don't know, but it appears if this is true that the 3 guys involved in this attack were taunting the cat and possibly hung a leg over the enclosure wall to tease the cat. The wall turned out to only be 12 and a half feet tall, so the zoo is taking the blame for this wall being too low. The investigation continues as to the responsibility the victims played in this attack. They were originally attacked right in front of the enclosure where one of them was killed trying to save his friend. The other two ran to a zoo cafeteria for help and the tiger then followed the trail of blood and resumed it's attack. Police found the cat sitting beside one of the guys when they arrived. When the guy yelled for help, the cat started attacking again. That's when police opened fire and killed the cat. Sounds to me like this cat was being mistreated and decided to fight back this time. How could a zoo think walls 12 and a half feet tall could be enough? I hope all the zoos out there are revisiting their cat enclosure standards so this doesn't happen again.

Tiger Attack

I forgot I wanted to post something about the tiger attack at The San Diego Zoo. It happened on Christmas Day and one person was killed and two others were mauled but survived. The tiger was shot by police and killed. This same tiger mauled a zoo keeper during a public feeding last year in the same week of December. I find this story very disturbing. This cat had been moved to this zoo in 2005 from a different zoo to hopefully breed with tigers at San Diego Zoo. What is going on at that zoo that the same animal is attacking and killing people two years in a row!? This animal had no record of attacks before moving to this zoo. The reports I have found on the incident are all a little different with the facts, so it is hard for me to sort it all out. One report said the cat was 4 years old, another said she was 5. One said the walls around her enclosure were 12 and half feet high and another said 18 feet high. It appears the cat scaled the wall of her enclosure somehow, so knowing the ACTUAL height of the wall is important. 12 and a half feet would be nothing to scale for a cat who is probably almost that height when standing on her hind legs. I find it hard to believe that the wall could be that low. The 18 foot report is probably more accurate. Still, why was this animal so unhappy that it repeatedly attacked people? Something at that zoo isn't right and I hope a full investigation uncovers it. I know this was a wild animal that was acting as a wild animal does, but this cat was born in captivity and raised by humans. For the most part this creates a bond between animal and human that would not exist in the wild, thereby decreasing the chances of an attack. Keeping the animal happy, entertained, well fed, and healthy also decreases the chances of an attack. Which factor was missing here? I don't think this animal was acting out of a "wild" instinct as some have stated. Yes, killing your prey is natural behavior for a tiger in the WILD not one raised by humans that eats out of a BOWL everyday. Stalking becomes a play behavior that doesn't result in killing unless that play is encouraged in that direction in order to release it back into the wild, or something is wrong with the cat or the cat's lifestyle. A PERSON is to blame for this tragedy that has resulted in the loss of two magnificent lives. This cat was too young to be senile, but there could have been a breeding problem--perhaps inbreeding--that caused a mental breakdown for this cat. I could speculate for days on how humans may have caused this to happen, but I just have a very deep feeling that the cat is not to blame. I am however, glad and sad at the same time, that the tiger was killed. She was obviously dangerous and if something was wrong with her or she had been mistreated she is better off in tiger heaven than alive in those circumstances. I always hate to hear of an animal having to be killed, but sometimes that is the only answer. What would they have done with her after she had killed someone and mauled 3 others if she had not been killed? This story REALLY bothers me.

Spider in my Van

The other night I was on my way someplace (I forget where) when a spider started running across the INSIDE of my windshield. I like to look at spiders in THEIR habitats and take pictures of them on their webs, however I don't have much appreciation for them when they encroach on my territory because I am TERRIFIED of them. This spider seemed to enjoy itself as it ran willy-nilly all over my windshield as I screamed and tried vehemently not to wreck the van as Katie laughed hysterically at me from the back seat! Really funny stuff when you're not the one sitting with your lap under a nightmare on 8 legs that are slipping around on glass. I could not find a safe place to pull over to get the spider out and I was too afraid it would jump on me to try and swat at it. (Plus I have a huge superstition about killing spiders--it's VERY bad luck--their friends and family find out and send out assassins after you to retaliate!) (GO ahead and laugh! Kill a spider and see if about 5 don't show up in its place!) Finally the spider darts into a tiny space between the windshield and the dash---thank God! At least I can stop watching it and start watching the road again. My eyes kept darting nervously to the spot where it had disappeared, but it didn't come back out. The next day I find strategically placed batches of eggs on my windshield and one part of my dash. Nice parting gift--I'm going away, but leaving 500 of my offspring to entertain you in my absence. Thanks, but NO THANKS! As I used my credit card to scrape away the eggs I felt a little guilty that I was destroying this little creature's magnum opus. I wondered what Charlotte and Wilbur would have thought of me. Wilbur was so excited when he found out there would lots of little Charlottes crawling around in the Spring. I couldn't find myself feeling that same joy as I hoped that I wasn't dropping any eggs that would later hatch in my van, or that there weren't any batches deposited in places I couldn't see. I know I killed some of God's creatures and that makes me sad, but having a predator-free van makes me happy.

God Has Spoken

I went to work today and had a great day. The department asked me to start directing the Christmas program, because they weren't very pleased with the other person's job and they felt I was doing all the work of it anyhow. They also had me make several props and stuff for the program (which happens to be the Grinch) and they all were telling me what a good job I was doing and how creative and awesome my props were. I felt APPRECIATED which was something I hadn't been feeling before. Then Coach asked me if I was going to help her coach the Special Olympics basketball team again this year and said she really wanted my help. The kids were having a great time practicing for the program and I was having a BALL directing them and showing them what gestures to use and helping them learn their songs. I felt like I LOVE my job again and those kids need someone who LOVES them. I had applications all printed out ready to send to animal hospitals and the zoo and something was holding me back from sending them. I kept praying for God to give me sign--WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING? WHERE DO YOU NEED MY SERVICE AND TALENTS? I went from loathing my job, to loving it again and I am SURE God was trying to tell me I am supposed to work with special kids/people and that even if I feel unappreciated and stressed, I am there for a reason and the kids appreciate me and THEY are who really matters in the grand scheme of things. Our Christmas program is going to be so awesome! Our first basketball game is Friday. I'm back in the swing of things and it's all for the kids!