December 30, 2007
SF Zoo Tiger Attack Victims Released
Behold, the tight-lipped duo who, at this point last week, couldn't have imagined the death and subsequent big-cat madness in store for them today. Under supervision at San Francisco General Hospital, due to severe bite and claw wounds since last Monday, Paul Dhaliwal, 19, and Kulbir Dhaliwal, 23, were released into the wild yesterday afternoon.
In addition to the brothers' hospital release, NPR reports that all the big cats at SF Zoo will most likely be sent to a sanctuary of sorts and that the zoo director, Manuel Mollinedo, has been asked to step down. Yikes. All of this, it seems, ties into today's (riveting) Chron report on the San Francisco Zoo's sketchy past, where incidents of gross mismanagement - such as koala kidnappings, sheep rape, an elephant performing "a headstand on a technician, breaking her pelvis," and last year's arm-flesh removal of trainer Lori Komejan by Tatiana - have occurred over the 78-year history at the "cursed" park.
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Sheep rape? I almost lost my dinner.
From the article: "Animals being taunted was always an issue," an ex-employee said.
Was it really? Hm. I'm not usually one of those "save-the-whales" kooks, but I didn't realize that animal-taunting was a regular issue. That's making me think that perhaps zoos are not so awesome after all.
Also: I demand more details about the sheep molestation.
From the article: "Sheep were molested by a human intruder". Yeah, that about says it all.
The article really makes it sound like the SF Zoo is one messed-up place. Maybe it's time to head over to the Oakland Zoo instead.
"Inevitably, there are going to be lawsuits filed," Little said. "Even if they provoked the tiger, a reasonable person would believe that the tiger could not escape. That's what you count on when you go to the zoo. You count on the idea that the animals cannot reach you."
this is the main problem with our entire society today. how sad and wrong is this statement?
nobody teaches or understands consequences or cause and effect anymore.
Seriously, it's ok to poke the tigers because they can't fight back? Fuck that.
@ Suckafree: Oh my goodness. I actually agreed with your comment! Shit, the sky is falling! Or is that a tiger?
@ Suckafree: Oh my goodness. I actually agreed with your comment! Shit, the sky is falling! Or is that a tiger?
"Sorry Roger. You tiger food now!"
This is what happens when you party hearty.
I do remember the whole koala thing. It was another incident involving teens. These kids were lovers, not fighters...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2000/12/28/MN175440.DTL&hw=koala&sn=003&sc=842
AND- it happened around the holidays! Weird, huh?
You know what I was wondering? What happened to that guy a couple years ago who got attacked by a chimp he was caring for? The chimp chewed off his nose, ears, fingers and yes, genitalia. I'd think that would be worth a followup story.
The sheep was dressed in some slutty wool outfit and just asking for it.