I'm not blaming Tatiana in the "you naughty cat" sense Allyson, but since she was a proven danger beyond the level normally associated with big cats in captivity, I think it's better that she was killed than risk another tragedy in the hands of a zoo that obviously wasn't up to the challenge of keeping people safe from her.

Humans chose to put this animal on display, and once that happened, a contract is in place between the humans and the animal that no harm should come to it, period.

It's all on the zoo, here. The animal bears no responsibility.

I loudly and vehemently agree. Contract. That's the world for it. Humans bought that ticket and must shoulder the price.

Oddly enough, exactly why I'm starting the pet coaching business. The things I see that people DON'T know that get blamed on their pets...makes me alternately sad and furious. The only acceptable solution is to provide that info in the best way I know how.

I should say I started out life pursuing zoo science and gave up out of disgust and rage at humanity's capacity for inhumanity.

Long way of saying, "What Allyson said."

Cashmere, have you considered having him wear mittens any time you aren't right there watching him?

weekend

tonight: reading through cookbooks for a menu this week, packing up a couple of boxes to mail next week, taking things to storage room

Sat/Sun: mac's swim class, some shopping for home stuff, groceries, cooking, filing, maybe listing some stuff on ebay, maybe watching netflix movie or old Heroes eps

a zoo that obviously wasn't up to the challenge of keeping people safe from her.

My DExH bought (for a huge sum) a police dog from Seattle that was about to be killed for biting its second handler. Why they charged him 4k for a dog that was a day away from the needle, I'll never know.

Still, he worked with that animal for weeks and could never get near it. Finally, he hired a vet to blow-gun tranquilize it. Discovered a prong collar rusted into its neck, under its black fur. The police unit and the two handlers never seemed to notice METAL stuck in the dog's neck. Obviously not up to the task of caring for that dog.

After an operation and some rest, he became the very best dog in my ex's site/personal protection business.

The tiger should have been moved somewhere it COULD be cared for.

she was a proven danger beyond the level normally associated with big cats in captivity

I'm led to understand she wasn't beyond the level normally associated with her kind in captivity. That's why she wasn't put down when she tried to eat her keeper's arms. Eating weaker animals is her job. Stopping her from doing that is one of the zoo's many jobs.

I think it's better that she was killed than risk another tragedy in the hands of a zoo that obviously wasn't up to the challenge of keeping people safe from her.

I think that's where I have the disconnect, Matt. The "normal" for a tiger is to tear your head off and eat you. Since the zoo couldn't keep its contract with the tiger, the solution was to transfer the tiger elsewhere, where she could live out her days not on display or in harm's way (to either people or herself).

The solution wasn't to put the tiger down for acting according to its nature. If it cost the zoo an assload to take the tiger off display while it fixed the problem with the enclosure, then that is part of the zoo's responsibility to the animal (in case another suitable home could not be found).

Oh, I forgot to mention. We may be adopting another dog! A seeing-eye dog whose owner died. The dog is too old to be retrained with another owner, but needs a good home to retire to, which we hope we can be. We go meet the pup this weekend.

He will shred paper, cardboard and all sorts of things if I let him.

Perhaps he would like to take apart a pink octopus.

I'd also like to add that I support zoos. I think when zoos are well-funded and well-run, they provide an enormous educational opportunity for humans to learn about animals they'd never otherwise see. They do a marvelous job educating the public about conservation, as well.

Just wanted to make sure I wasn't coming off as being all anti-zoo.

Circuses, not so much. Circuses need to not be doing the animal thing.