" Anybody who thinks taunting was behind the tiger attack needs to check out the latest news on this incident. The vicitims cooperated with police, were cleared of any tanting allegations, and the zoo director is now facing a defamation lawsuit for lying about everything people "think" happened. Check out the latest AP story. Taunting was not the cause of this and the tiger and other large cats had been observed almost jumping out of their enclosures several times in the past. These are the facts. Google it and then write a post. "

" Yes he is A thug But he's our Thug. What would Pakistan be like if he wasn't there (Iran Comes to Mind) Im Sorry that Benazir Bhutto was killed. But Musharraf Said publicly that he could not protect her, And there is no way that Al Qaeda was going to let a powerful Women Political Figure like her live in Pakistan.

Also those two "victimized Men" in San Diego are not talking to the Police or Zoo Officals. That tells me that they were doing something that they Should not have been doing. If there was true justice in the world the tiger should have gotten them all. I also love zoos and hope that this Incident does not harm other zoos from keeping wild animals "

" This is to Alan, Mumofthree, Wacko, Natural law, MadisonSandra, Mel, Doc, don, NotBuyingIt, JimM, Beverly, JustAThought, NoWay, Morality, Mary, Mowgli, Kill the humans!, taunting caused tragedy, respect animals, good job tiger, Shocked..., and RU Kidding. How does it feel to know that you incriminated victims of a deadly animal attack based on fabricated stories from animal rights activists? Maybe someday your child can be mauled to death by a tiger at a zoo with a fence 4 feet shorter than standards, and then they can blame it on your son with no proof. Then idiots like you can get on the internet and say your son deserved it by repeating the lies. Think about it. "

" The S.F. Police Department just concluced its criminal investigation. Absolutely no evidence of taunting was discovered. The results of the investigation are public and running on every news network. Attention P@#A Boneheads! Attention P@#A Boneheads! You have all lied! You have all been wrong! What do the P@#A Boneheads have to say? "

" CNN has just reported that the lead investigator states the victims will not be charged because there is NO evidence they taunted the tiger. Most of the previous posts have found the victims guilty (until proven innocent?) CNN also is reporting a former zoo employee tried to get the zoo to correct many of the dangers, one being the height of the walls. It states that workers on several occasions saw the animals nearly jump the walls. I am an animal rights advocate but there have to be exceptions when human life is attacked and/or taken.

Good job of reporting Matt. "

" So if one one of you who think this was good every decides to protest something i am in favor of and stands with signs and yelling protests etc., I can just attack you for provoking me? If thats what your saying please tell me if you ever are protesting our supporting a cause I do not agree with and were you will be. I would love to play the part of the tiger wich you think was fair and right. PLEASE! "

" I generally agree with noting that PETA stands for, and pay little attention to animal rights. The boy that got killed did not deserve that. That is tragic. For the two that got mauled, it is poetic justice. How can you respect someone that takes advantage of an innocent animal in a vulnerable position and decides to torture it for their own pleasure. There are rules at the zoo saying not to taunt the animals. These individuals were negligent in not following the rules and not asking if the Tiger was guaranteed not to escape while they tortured it.

It is ridiculous to compare them to "a child making faces". If they were simply making faces at this animal, I am sure most would agree that they were indeed victims. They were however, physically harming the tiger. Not throwing rocks at it, but pelting it with a slingshot. Slingshots are very dangerous and can kill. How would you people react if you were being attacked with a very painful and threatening weapon and if your options were to either take it, or retaliate? if you retaliated, would you then blame yourself?

Yes the zoo should be reprimanded, but these self absorbed inconsiderate fools should not be awarded one penny. They are only a victim of their own actions. "

" 1) Any stories that the tiger was taunted haven't be verified by the police.

2) All of you animal rights wackos must realize that if you think taunting equals getting mauled to death, then every child that's made a face at a lion at the zoo should be gutted.

3) The column's right, you low-life P@#Aastic pukes care more about animals than humans.

The articles I read said a witness, some Mrs. Miller, saw four boys growling at the tiger. It didn't say they were drunk, didn't say they had slingshots, and she's the only person who said this. The cops will tell you, one eye witness acount equals squat in court.

And to my P@#Astic pukes, you must be so proud when the zoo reopened it doubled its attendance so people could go see where the tiger mauled a human to death.

Read Genesis, God gave man dominion over all the animals. If that means some teenagers get to roar at a tiger at a zoo without getting mauled to death, fine. But worse yet, those of you commenting here probably don't care in the least if your neighbor beats their kids, but you'd call the cops if you saw them whack their dog.

Ur all SicK.

"

" Furthermore, when will zoos start putting security cameras on the grounds so that if anything, we can be sure than animals are NOT being abused by visitors, and if they are, they are kicked out of the park/zoo and never allowed to return. Not only would this protect animals and give us the answers we need, like in this case, but also protect the visitors. "

" Your article is ridiculous, pathetic and exactly what is wrong with our "victim" society. Yes, I agree that no animal should be able to get out no matter what. However, IF these boys were taunting, harassing, and possiby injuring the animal by throwing things at it, in my opinion, they should not be entitled to some grandiose financial settlement. What, being abusive punks to animals gets you rich these days? Fine the zoo if a 12 foot wall is what caused the tiger to leap out. I find it hard to believe. That tiger was protecting itself and its habitat, and just like any animal would do in the wild, if confronted and if they feel threatened they will attack to teach humans a lesson. It's not about caring for animals more than humans, it's about RESPECTING all life, and especially respecting wildlife. Too many humans think they are "above" animals with their arrogant attitude about their place in the world, and now and then an animal teaches them a lesson. That is the only way the animal gets the respect it is owed. But in the end it is always the animal that pays for this lesson, and in this case, so did a 17 year old boy. I don't feel bad for the other two. When they are refusing to cooperate, provide info., help in any way with the investigation or be straightforward in honest, they are hiding something and clearly have a lack of respect for all of the victims in this case..the tiger and their friend. Nice friends huh? Once again, instead of taking responsibility for THEIR actions they are playing the victim...the problem with a lot of people in this world today. And once again you have an ambulance chasing attorney that wants to represent them. Why? Because he smells a big cash pay out. Otherwise they'd be looking through the yellow pages for a lawyer. These kids should be thankful that they are alive and able to walk, but instead are greedy and looking for a way to make money. The only victim that deserves any kind of recourse is one who isn't here to tell us the story, and who has crappy friends that are unwilling to at least give his family the peace of mind of knowing exactly what happened. It's a shame that a boy lost his life for at the worst being ignorant, naive, arrogant and foolish in his behavior toward this tiger. It's a bigger shame that one less tiger exists in our world today, a world where fewer and fewer tigers can live in the wild without being hunted. What's worse is this was a female who could have produced offspring. It's pathetic that the least this kids could do is be honest....if they were bullying the tiger, it would at least give us some answers, but instead they are greedy and don't want to ruin any chance at becoming the next millionaires for doing absolutely nothing but causing the unnecessary death of their friend and an endangered wild animal. "

" Matt,
Up until this article I thought you had a head on your shoulders. How on earth can you even think of these young tormentors as "Victims"?
That Tiger never asked to be put into an enclosure and held in captivity where he would
be at the mercy of caregivers for the balance of his UNnatural life. To top off the stress from captivity along comes some "humans"
who think taunting a tiger would be a safe form of fun. Every living creature has it's
limits. This tiger was a beautiful Creature that God put on this planet for a purpose.
I don't think His purpose was a ZOO but rather
a land to roam and hunt at will and not be provoked by a few thrill seekers. They got what they had coming. It's very sad all the way around but I feel most sorry for this
animal who died from a bullet. Remember animals can't speak for themselves it's up to
the people who love them to speak for them. "

" Even if the wall was 4 feet higher, it may not have mattered. When a wild animal gets backed into a corner they are capable of some pretty amazing things. Regardless, the Tiger didn't go after some random family, it went after the $%^&^ that were abusing it. It was smart and knew who to attack. Too bad the cops showed up, all three should've been killed. Don't @#$% with someone or something you can't handle. "

" pull this articale before i snap on these brain dead people. How can you say they deserved to be killed for taunting a tiger. So the people that protest at the post office are taunting me it really bothers me i should be able to kill or beat them. Stop it now!!!! The fence should keep it in no matter what. Please join us on earth. "

" We must respect the natural instincts of the tiger. There are many animal experts on telesion who express the need to respect wild animals. For instance, when a person gets bitten by a snake, we should not blame the snake. Some people might believe that animals in nature have such rights to protect themselves. Even though this tiger was supposedly in a secure area, these boys totally deserve what they got. It's a shame that the animal had to die. I'm sure that there are numerous other zoos around the world where if they animals wanted to escape for similar reasons, they could. This particular California zoo should certainly make the wall higher, but those boys better not see a penny from the zoo!!! "

" There is 1 thing 100%. You are a sad little person who should not be allowed to have kids with an attitude like that. Kids sometimes act like a-holes but they don't deserve to die. The writer is dead on, NO ANIMAL should ever be able to harm a visitor, period! "

" You people are idiots!! Please put your names in here so i can be sure to slap you back to reality. My GOD! there is no animal worth the life of a human. I dont care if the shot it with slingshots or threw its cub off the top. This should never happen and anyone who said they had it comming should be ashamed. Animals are not human. I know all you wacko peta nuts and tree huggers think animals are the same as humans, but snap out of it. I tell you what even though you are idiots I still think your life is more valubale than an animal. Think about it!!! "

" Sounds like the one guy who wasn't really asking for it was the one who died. I guess that goes for the tiger, too. It doesn't surprise me that the victim tried to help these jerks and when it was their turn, they ran. Sounds like there may even be another individual who just took off. Maybe the brothers were trying to figure out whether to run or report the death of their 'friend.' If they get any money from the zoo, it should be soaked in his blood. Sounds like this may have been a ploy for a lawsuit from the start. "

" Straight from the S.F. Chronicle: "Authorities have been unable to corroborate reports that the victims taunted the tigers..." "

" People who die at a zoo because a dangerous animal escapes get what they deserve. Slingshots and vodka equal getting mauled to death by a tiger. Who cares if the zoo's protective wall was more than four feet too short? You are all right. The zoo has no fault and I feel no sympathy. The author of this article is a lunatic who should be mauled to death by a tiger. "

" Is drinking vodka a crime? Don't be sheep. The zoo director is just trying to deflect instead of owning up to responsibility. Throw #*^% on the wall & see what sticks. The zoo is at fault, not the deceased or survivors. The moat didn't have 70 years of success, they (zoo management) just were able to cover their tracks until Christmas 2007. "

" Although I find it extremely troubling that it was even possible that this animal was even able to escape no matter what provoked it, what about personal responsibility? I realize these young men paid a tremendous price if they did indeed perpetuate this attack. On the other hand, as a society, we go to greater and greater lengths to try and make excuses for people who are harmed by their own stupidity, and in this case, quite possibly by their own cruelty. It isn't possible to protect everyone when they are determined to do the wrong thing. "

" He dangled his leg into the enclosure giving the tiger a leg-up and over the wall. That's called Darwinism, not a cop-out. "

" These irresponsible young brats have no one but themselves to blame for the consequences of their sadistic actions. No matter how many ideal precautions the zoo takes, it only takes one (or in this case three) determined morons to get around them. I feel more sympathy for a wild animal acting on instinct than I do for three delinquents who CHOSE to act like horrific sub-humans. These boys deserved death if only because they are too inconsiderate, irresponsible and worthless to contribute anything other than animal torment, drinking and drug use to the world. Natural selection in action, it's only a shame the police thwarted nature by saving two of these pathetic losers! "

" The moral progress of a society/country can be judged by the way its animals are treated. Human arrogance towards animals has become too common resulting to the belief that animals have no emotions or souls. Being around them my entire life, I have no doubt that they possess all of our emotions (less many of the pathetic ones). They experience pain, sadness, fear, boredom, happiness, and love. I am sorry the one person was killed, but the other two deserved what they got. "

" What's pathetic is that these boys would even consider suing a zoo for events that *they* in all likelihood set in motion. They are lucky to be alive - their friend having paid the ultimate price in stupid tax. "

" The boys had a history of petty crime and were due to appear in court for misbehaving while intoxicated and verbally abusing police officers. The boy that died was underaged, while in the care of elder friends. Weren't the Dhaliwals responsible for NOT doing things that would endanger the life of their younger friend? Why did they not want to identify his body (or even admit to the young boy's family that they were with him on that day)? The zoo IS responsible for making the enclosure safe, but the zoo CANNOT be responsible for the endless creativity of people who want to endanger themselves for laughs or a thrill. Some people will always push the edge, no matter how much we try to protect them from themselves. "

" I think the survivors owe the Zoo a tiger. "

" The only thing i wish was that Matt was at the zoo with a filet in his back pocket. What a jerk.
I think everyone virtually agrees that the enclosure should have been unescapable. However, it's not as if the tigers were routinely jumping out and wandering about the zoo. That exhibit has been around for 50+years with this kind of a problem.
Unfortunately, the actions of some drunk idiots exposed a flaw in the security and protection.
I believe the zoo is responsible for making things safe and idiot proof, as the actions of these idiots endandered innocent people.
"

" And another thing...how interesting now, that they've immediately hired a *CRIMINAL DEFENSE* lawyer for their so-called CIVIL suit. And a crappy one at that, with his track record. "

" The brothers were very "sullen and uncooperative" with police since from the time they were admitted to the time they were discharged from the hospital. They have lied and said they called Mr. Sousa's father to "offer condolences", which was in fact refuted by the father the other day, who has said he has had no contact at all with them, and in fact wants to hear from them to get the true story. There are a lot of lies already from these guys. What are these three guys doing on CHRISTMAS, away from their 'caring' families, at the Zoo near closing time? Bet I know. I absolutely believe they taunted this animal, who is now dead because they were drunk jerks. I have little sympathy for the dead young man, really, if he was part of this little gang of animal tormentors who got what they deserved from their actions. I am certain the real 'truth' will come out very soon. "

" I don't carry a slingshot into a zoo, If they were using these slingshots, I have no sympathy at all. "

" You're amazed that people show more care about animals than humans?

Interesting.

I'm amazed when people have no regard for common sense and civility. Or how about simply accepting responsibility for one's actions? Getting mauled by a tiger is certainly a severe consequence. But in this day and age where "justice" seems hard to come by, this certainly feels like justice. I do not hold the welfare of animals above humans; i would have the same reaction if the idiots were taunting an old woman (or some other seemingly defenseless victim) and they shot them. Reap what you sow.

Honestly, i wish there was a video of the whole thing, so i could see the look on the career-criminals-to-be's faces when the cat they thought they were safe from finally got so angry that it was motivated to leap out of its enclosure and settle things. I bet that was a real kodak moment.

The fact that the surviving malcontents have hired a landshark lawyer to shake down the zoo makes me sick. "

" Children calling out and making faces is taunting. Stupid adults drunkenly shooting rocks at a born predator is something else entirely. I'd love to say they only got what they deserved, but the sad fact is they'll probably also get an outrageous sum of money. "

" The two brothers that survived the tiger mauling incident both had slingshots on them & a bottle of vodka they'd consumed 3/4s of, the tiger was minding her own business until she was abused, tormented with slingshots by two drunken adults who should've known better, their actions largely caused the deaths of both the 17 year old young man and the tiger. "

" The No. 1 rule of a zoo, and perhaps society in general, should be that people are not permitted or encouraged to taunt, bait or otherwise encite the animals. I wish there were wild animals roaming the streets. Maybe then there would be some long overdue thinning of the heard, removing primarily those humans who feel invincible, superior or dominant over the Earth and its other inhabitants. "

" The so called humans who would taunt an animal are not human at all. Certainly animals shouldn't be able to escape - but nothing is 100%. People shouldn't act like hostile, evil idiots either. If they taunted the animal, then they set this horrific series of events into motion. "

" what is pathetic???

1].. "boys" "taunting" a caged tiger with slingshots while inebriated.

2] this article! "