Admittedly, being a recovering alcoholic doesn’t exactly make me an expert on tiger attacks, but neither does it take Sherlock Holmes (also in recovery) to solve a mystery when provided with such elementary clues as an empty vodka bottle, slingshot, a zoo with low fences, and a tiger that holds a grudge.
The Siberian tiger (Tatiana) that killed Carlos Sousa Jr., 17, and mauled two other men, brothers Paul Dhaliwal, 19, and Kulbir Dhaliwal, 23, at the San Francisco Zoo on Christmas Day, has sparked a police investigation and much speculation as to who is to blame. Authorities are still investigating how the animal escaped — recent reports indicate she could have jumped or scaled the enclosure's wall, which is nearly 4 ft. lower than the recommended standard — and whether or not the victims taunted her before the attacks.~Time.com
Empty Vodka Bottle – Not of the Russian variety Tigroff, but more like “Tiger-on” as in the drunk idiot variety. The empty bottle was left in plain view on the front seat of the victim’s car. NOT in the trunk, under the seat, or hidden in a jacket pocket just carelessly discarded in plain view regardless of the consequences. Get my drift?
Slingshot – This is the part of the story that has not been verified, unlike the verifiable eyewitness and police reports of the vodka and taunting. In the hands of a child these things are a nuisance, in the hands of a drunk young man they are just an accident waiting to happen.
A Zoo with Low Fences – Regardless of who is really at fault or simply fate, the zoo will no doubt end up paying through the nose for the fact that their fence did meet recognized standards for safety.
Tiger that Holds a Grudge – "That tiger could have been surrounded by 10,000 people," says Dave Salmoni, the Animal Planet network's predator expert, who spent years training big cats; but if the animal has a mission, "it will avoid all of those people and just to go to those three people." Says Salmoni, "There's nothing more focused than a tiger who wants to kill something."~Time.com
Where exactly to lay the blame? Well it would probably be easier to say who is not to blame, and that is the tiger that was just fulfilling her natural born role of a Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat. The one thing I would be willing to bet the mortgage on though is that if you take the vodka out of this whole sad equation then both the idiot and the beautiful tiger would still be alive. Once again, it doesn’t take a detective to understand the relationship between alcohol, accidents…
and tiger attacks.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Even thought the topic is so sad. Your conclusions have a lot of merit, Sherlock!
for the Tigroff Vodka, their slogan is “Perfect Russian vodka of premium segment for powerful and self-confident males.”
Should read “who want to feel…”
Again, I say the same on the other article, personally, I think the two adult boys should be held legally responsible for the alcohol & drugs in the 17yr old’s system, (giving alcohol to minor). Then they should be prosecuted for the death of the minor. Then they should be prosecuted for the death of the cat.
All three were idots who, of their own accord, CHOSE drinking, drugging and willfully committing acts of meanness. The cat was their innocent vicitm striking back after she’d had enough. Just happens she wasn’t as helpless as their cruel stupid little minds thought she was.
If the zoo was to be fined for the fence, then it should have been donated to wild tiger and habitat conservation. Goes to show, zoos need more staff to make sure animals are not taunted. If they can’t afford more staff, then have fewer animals so their staff will be enough.
Those idiots CHOSE thier actions, they set in motion the chain of events that led to the death of their comrad. At the very least the one of the three who is a legal adult, should be held responsible for the minor’s death. So, why shouldn’t they be held legally responsible.
These boys, according to the news reports, continue to drink and drive. I would imagine when they kill someone driving drunk, that family is going to say, “Too bad the tiger didn’t kill all three, for if she had my family would still be alive.”