Tiger kills man at San Francisco Zoo

[LinasK]

Published: Saturday, December 29, 2007 14:51 PST
By MARCUS WOHLSEN
The Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO
A San Francisco General spokeswoman says that two brothers mauled in a tiger attack at San Francisco Zoo have been released from the hospital.
Paul Dhaliwal, 19, and Kulbir Dhaliwal, 23, had been under care at San Francisco General Hospital with severe bite and claw wounds since the Christmas Day attacks.
Hospital spokeswoman Eileen Shields said both of the men were discharged Saturday afternoon. more at link:http://www.pe.com/ap_news/California/CA_Tiger_Attacks_321360C.shtml

 

[i.b.nora]

http://cbs5.com/local/tiger.zoo.Dhaliwal.2.619990.html

Dec 29, 2007 3:14 pm US/Pacific
2 Brothers Mauled By SF Zoo Tiger Leave Hospital

A San Francisco General spokeswoman says that two brothers mauled in a tiger attack at San Francisco Zoo have been released from the hospital.

Paul Dhaliwal, 19, and Kulbir Dhaliwal, 23, had been under care at San Francisco General Hospital with severe bite and claw wounds since the Christmas Day attacks.

Hospital spokeswoman Eileen Shields said both of the men were discharged Saturday afternoon.

This website has raw footage of the brothers leaving the hospital this afternoon.
They don't seem very friendly.

 

[Fermi]

Fermi,

From my original post:

http://websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1875058&postcount=132

I was simply quoting what was in this article (am I only allowed to post what I know to be fact?):

Colomom, I am familiar with your original post as I read all posts before posting anything. Hence my few posts, as most material is usually thoroughly covered and needs no additional input from me. I was referring to this post, which was your second post:

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1877363&postcount=244

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/01/01/MNG3CNB93Q1.DTL

"That's how Vikram Chari described the horrifying spectacle that he and his 6-year-old son witnessed at the San Francisco Zoo on the Friday before Christmas, when a Siberian tiger named Tatiana attacked her keeper."

Again, I am aware of what Mr. Chari stated in this article. I was simply opposed to him, as well as others, saying that Tatiana "attacked her keeper". I do not believe that "attacking" was her MO. I believe, in my own opinion, that she thought her "kill" was being taken and she reacted. To me, attacking and reacting are two very different things. I suppose it is all in the semantics.

"He said three men tried to yank Komejan, a gifted artist, from Tatiana's grasp. The tiger pulled back, methodically devouring the arm. Finally, a zoo employee grabbed a long pole and jabbed it at Tatiana's head. The tiger let go."

My original post was in response to Littledeer's post:

http://websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1877300&postcount=241

"I am sure, that to the Zoo employees that she was considered "tame"."

I realize that your response was to Littledeer's comment. I apologize for assuming that was known, I should have made a direct statement of fact that I was responding to your comment to Littledeer's post.

Nova was correct with the reference to the "tame" comment. It came from Littledeer's post, not yours.

I know that Nova was referring to LD's post. However, since he quoted my entire post and followed it up with the "tame" admonishment, I wanted to reiterate my position as to wild v. tame. Nova and I have always had an amicable posting relationship and I respect his gentle, rational, and informed nature/opinions immensely. I know what he meant and took no offense, I only clarified my position for those who do not start reading from the beginning of a thread and just jump in mid-stream.

IMO, after that incident with her keeper a year ago, it might have been a good idea to insure that Tatiana was in a very secure environment. Perhaps transferred to a more modern zoo? It seems to me that throughout this story there is a lack of understanding and caution when dealing with a wild animal that had "bitten" a human being in the past.

I agree 100% with your assessment here. Big cats, due to their propensity for unpredictable behavior, warrant special considerations. It is a shame that a nationally recognized zoo failed to act responsibly and protect their staff, the public, and Tatiana.

I did not mean to upset you and I apologize for doing so. I will refrain from quoting your posts in the future so as to avoid any further misunderstandings.

 

[AlwaysShocked]

From all I've seen and read, especially having read the incident log by the police and fire departments, these zoo "professionals" were anything but!

Beginning with employees in the snack bar building DID NOT BELIEVE the screaming injured person who was outside their locked door, did not let him into the building, told the 911 operator the screaming people were crazy (which downgraded the priority of the response to the call), then moving onto the fact that the police and firefighters were LOCKED OUT of the zoo for a period of time, and then moving on to once police were actually inside the zoo, a zoo employee directly disobeyed a police order to stay in place and took off running to the tiger area.

Then the director of the zoo gets up in front of cameras and "mistakenly" gives an incorrect height of the wall around the tiger area?

Wasn't the tiger area shut down for some time after last year's incident with this same tiger? Weren't "improvements" made at that time? The zoo director failed to look at the recommedations for wall height at that time? Or failed to measure the existing height of the wall at that time?

Come on! I sure hope somebody takes a look at the overall of this. Because it sounds like if this kind of situation could exist at a zoo as big as this one, it could take place anywhere.

 

[Pharlap]

Wasn't the tiger area shut down for some time after last year's incident with this same tiger? Weren't "improvements" made at that time? The zoo director failed to look at the recommedations for wall height at that time? Or failed to measure the existing height of the wall at that time?

Come on! I sure hope somebody takes a look at the overall of this. Because it sounds like if this kind of situation could exist at a zoo as big as this one, it could take place anywhere.

The zoo director made improvements to the feeding area only, which is where last years accident happened. The keeper that was feeding put her hand threw the inclosure(which in training to be a feeder, you NEVER, NEVER do that)
Was stated on alot of news reports by aniamal experts, that ALL zoo directions will learn from this. There all listening and watching.

For the wall, I to wish it would of been at least 16 ft and had water in front of the wall.

 

[kgeaux]

I found the first video sooo upsetting that poor tiger stuck in that tiny enclosure ... no wonder she snapped.

This is exactly my response to that video. What a damn shame to take a regal animal and confine it to a cage to be gawked at.

 

[dark_shadows]

[snipped quote]

Thanks for posting that timeline, d_s. I had to go back to my estimated timeline but it seems I was right on the money. That's always nice.

My very dearest JanetElaine,:blowkiss:
I went back and found your timeline post and posted it below. It is nice that you were right on the money!:clap:

So much Love and Respect for you,
dark_shadows

(Click on the blue arrow for the timeline by JanetElaine .)

 

[JBean]

Tiger attack survivors 'sorry' they couldn't save mauled friend

BY TAMER EL-GHOBASHY and SOO YOUN
DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Sunday, December 30th 2007, 4:00 AM

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The two brothers who survived the attack by maneating tiger Tatiana broke their silence Saturday, calling their dead friend's family to say they did everything they could to save the teen.
"They called and said they were sorry, that they did everything to help Carlos [Sousa Jr.]," said the victim's cousin Christina Sousa-Habenicht.
Kulbir Dhaliwal, 23, and Amritpal (Paul) Dhaliwal, 19, made the call just hours after they left San Francisco General Hospital yesterday, four days after the tiger escaped her lair, killed Sousa, and lashed into the brothers.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_...tiger_attack_survivors_sorry_they_couldn.html

 

[Pharlap]

Tiger attack survivors 'sorry' they couldn't save mauled friend

BY TAMER EL-GHOBASHY and SOO YOUN
DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Sunday, December 30th 2007, 4:00 AM

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The two brothers who survived the attack by maneating tiger Tatiana broke their silence Saturday, calling their dead friend's family to say they did everything they could to save the teen.
"They called and said they were sorry, that they did everything to help Carlos [Sousa Jr.]," said the victim's cousin Christina Sousa-Habenicht.
Kulbir Dhaliwal, 23, and Amritpal (Paul) Dhaliwal, 19, made the call just hours after they left San Francisco General Hospital yesterday, four days after the tiger escaped her lair, killed Sousa, and lashed into the brothers.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2007/12/30/2007-12-30_tiger_

attack_survivors_sorry_they_couldn.html

Hummmm....not buying it....
Just have to wait til the whole(if ever) story comes out.

 

[philamena]

Pharlap,
I'll wait with you.
IMO, we (the gp) don't have the entire, 'real' story about what happened that day.

 

[Texana]

Hummmm....not buying it....
Just have to wait til the whole(if ever) story comes out.

Umm, right. That's why they're alive, and he's not.

I'll wait, too.

 

[LionRun]

After what I've read about the types of criminal charges pending concerning a previous incident, that it was reported that both men were hostile to police and medical staff, and that there was denial concerning Sousa, I hesitate to believe there was altruism in what the men might have stated.

Lion

 

[panthera]

Never.

Thank you, Buzz! I'm sorry it took me 3 days to get back here to read your answer but I've been trying to follow this story. I just read the updates that the brothers did call Carlos' family but it still seems like something's missing in their story.

 

[panthera]

Hummmm....not buying it....
Just have to wait til the whole(if ever) story comes out.

I still don't understand why they denied that Carlos was with them when his dad was looking for him on Christmas. What were they up to?

 

[southcitymom]

I still don't understand why they denied that Carlos was with them when his dad was looking for him on Christmas. What were they up to?

Maybe they and Carlos were up to no good - drug activity, perhaps - that tends to make people behave untruthfully with LE and parents.

Frankly, I don't doubt that all 3 did whatever they could to save themselves and each other from the escaped tiger. I think the fact that Carlos was killed and they weren't is more the luck of the draw than anything else.

 

[panthera]

Maybe they and Carlos were up to no good - drug activity, perhaps - that tends to make people behave untruthfully with LE and parents.

Frankly, I don't doubt that all 3 did whatever they could to save themselves and each other from the escaped tiger. I think the fact that Carlos was killed and they weren't is more the luck of the draw than anything else.

You just might be right, one of the arrests involved marijuana. That might be why they chose to go to the zoo in the first place as there wouldn't be many people there and it's got secluded areas. I just wish they'd say more about what happened.

 

[southcitymom]

You just might be right, one of the arrests involved marijuana. That might be why they chose to go to the zoo in the first place as there wouldn't be many people there and it's got secluded areas. I just wish they'd say more about what happened.

I do too - but if I were selling or copping dope at the zoo, I may well want to talk to an attorney first!!

An escaped angry tiger would be a HUGE buzzkill, no??!!

 

[JanetElaine]

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

An escaped angry tiger would be a HUGE buzzkill, no??!!

 

[panthera]

I do too - but if I were selling or copping dope at the zoo, I may well want to talk to an attorney first!!

An escaped angry tiger would be a HUGE buzzkill, no??!!

Sure would be! If they had anything on them, LE would find it when they got to hospital. May be another reason no one's saying anything.

 

[Taximom]

I remember some tv lawyers saying they would love it if the hospital had taken drug screens when they were admitted. I wonder if they did?

Is that info covered by the privacy laws, should there ever be some type of court case?