SFist: Tiger Attack Update: Paul Dahliwal Tells All!

LubaSF

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 23:18:52 -0800

I really can't say that I think the officers deserve a medal of valor for this one. I looked up what typically qualifies as medal of valor - - going above and beyond the call of duty; and exhibiting - exceptional courage, extraordinary decisiveness and presence of mind - unusual swiftness of action, regardless of his or her personal safety, in an attempt to save or protect human life I'm not saying the officers did the right thing or the wrong thing. But it's not like they wrestled the tiger to the ground to save the guy. Last I checked, tigers don't wear bullet proof vests, and it just doesn't seem to me that there was any valor involved in the situation. And an aside - I used to work at the SF Zoo, and I'd walk past Tatiana and the other tigers every morning with my coffee before the zoo opened to the public, and there wasn't a single second that I felt my life was in danger. I'd be lucky to catch the tiger's attention for a glance in my direction. Zoo animals are used to the public, and the only time I've seen any of the animals there agitated is when large crowds were too close to the animals enclosures (I saw it often in the Lion House, although I no longer worked there at the time of the zoo keeper attack) or when the animals were harassed or taunted either by throwing things at the animals, or by people generally harassinig animals by screaming at them or tapping on the walls of glass enclosures, etc. I'm not sure of what happened in this case, but my gut tells me that the cat was harassed - and now we're dealing with aftermath of the tragedy that occurred because of it.

tatiana_siberian

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:55:18 -0800

Tatiana died 25 Dec-2007, at the hands of the San Francisco Police Department, when she escaped from her enclosure. Was Tatiana provoked? Why was there a bloody shoe found inside her enclosure? Had they been drinking before going into the San Francisco Zoo? If anything get boys on under age drinking or open container found inside the car! That's if you don't have enough on provoking the animals. Why didn't Tatiana get out of her enclosure before? Why now? What about the witness that came forward? I really feel, Tatiana is the true victim here. In time, the truth will come out. It’s sad that a person had to die and others injured, but if… if the tiger was provoked or abused by so called hands, well they got what they deserved. We expect a wild animal to live by our rules, in a cage knowing this can never be. The deep desire to be free is in all of us. Even if she was caught and put back into her cage, I think there might have been a cry to put her down anyway. Even for a brief moment if she felt free, makes me smile & heart glow with joy. For the last minutes of her life she knew, what it felt to have freedom. myspace.com/tatiana_siberian

Generic

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:33:36 -0800

A patch with Tony the Tiger in the crosshairs?

manys

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:21:37 -0800

Next up: Medals of Valor for officers who use turn signals.

mariconsoy

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:30:30 -0800

The police did what they had to do, based on the need to make a split second decision. It's horrible that the zoo had such a bad emerg plan. The tiger should have been shot with a tranq gun, and would be alive today. I still want to know what is going to happen with the fur. Do I have to be like the caller to Tiffany about the blood diamonds and the Mayor? Has anyone heard anything at all about the fur? Brock, I think they could squeeze two coats out of it-at least two stoles.

mpantone

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:09:27 -0800

The zoo staff were armed with tranquilizer guns, but the police got there first. A terrible end, but life is kinda messy sometimes.

the_absentee

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:06:10 -0800

They were doing their job, no? Granted it's a dangerous job, but you sign up for it.

Deborah

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:01:17 -0800

They did what they had to do. I do wonder if any of the officers have children. It must be hard to explain to your kid why you killed a tiger. Couldn't have been easy for them...

cowsaysmeow

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:57:43 -0800

Yes! Taunted (which I think she was) or not, she was completely out of control and literally lunging to get another bite out of the bros. There really wasn't another option available at that moment, unless you want to see her on the loose, roaming through the Sunset and eating people (despite all the genius article titles and possible LOLTIGER pics in SFist this would inspire). If there was a tranquilizer option immediately available, that would have been ideal, but if a tiger is on the loose attacking innocent(?) people, you probably only have so much time to think about it.

mpantone

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:56:47 -0800

Of course they deserve the medals. The officers had no idea of the background of the victims, who called whom, whether or not the victims had been drinking, etc. They just saw a tiger attacking two humans.

Rain

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:53:52 -0800

If they had tackled the tiger, flipped it over, and rubbed its belly until it fell asleep -- THAT would warrant some medals of valor... Or does that only work with crocodiles?