Attacking Tiger Attack Victims - (Un)just?

(Ah, the year of the tiger. OK, month of the tiger. But still.)

A reader brings up an interesting point -- thanks, reader! -- who asks, "The boys had it coming. True, but can they be buried/released from the hospital before we start pointing fingers. Did this happen before 24/7 news channels existed?"

(S)he makes a good point. Surely something similarly maul-related has happened before at a zoo somewhere, yes? Happened on busier news days as well, we imagine. Animal taunting must occur on a daily basis at SF Zoo. Seeing as how the zoo must already prepared for ill-mannered youths or men who visit the place every day, the problem here is that the tiger exhibit wall "doesn't meet national standards."

And, sure, the belligerence of the now hospitalized boys raises some fingers all too easy to point. But they were scared, possibly hungover, and just witnessed the loss of a good friend in a most violent way. (Not to mention how pain killers affect one's manners. Greatly.) We don't know. We just feel bad for pointing too many fingers - righteous or not - at a couple of patients who are still surely in a Vicodin haze.