Dec 26, 2007 8:48 pm US/Central
Officials Check Zoo Security After SF Tiger Attack
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
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A Siberian tiger like the one pictured attacked three men on Christmas Day. One man died, the other two are listed in critical but stable condition at a local hospital. (File)
AP
A Christmas Day trip to the zoo turned deadly in San Francisco when a 300-pound tiger escaped its cage and mauled three people.
One of the victims died and the other two are in critical condition. The tiger was shot and killed by police.
The attack has zoos across the country checking their security measures to make sure visitors are safe.
Fort Worth Zoo officials say they are sympathetic to the situation. In 1995 a tiger mauled a zookeeper.
At that time, high-tension cable fencing was used. Now a 20-foot, curved steel fence is used to house the tigers.
"We've got different types of barriers," said Kurt Giesler with the Fort Worth Zoo. "[The tigers] are behind a type of metal fencing, but there is also a moat area."
The 30-foot moat surrounds the tiger habitat. The moat at the San Francisco zoo spans 18 feet.
Investigators are trying to determine how the tiger escaped. Zoo officials say the details will help them prevent future attacks.
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