Let me paraphrase from wikipedia:

A 400 pound cat with huge nasty teeth that likes to eat meaty things.

In case you missed it, a tiger recently killed a boy and mauled two others at the SF Zoo. As a new father, I cannot possiby imagine the horror the family must be going through, and my heart truly goes out to them. This is awful, and a terrible terrible tragedy.

But what is wrong with the media? From the coverage I’ve seen and read it seems like the shock is about the fact that a tiger attacked a person. This really isn’t up for debate. Take a WILD PREDATOR and coop him up his whole life, then give him just a single shot at breaking free, guess what he’s going to do? Run for it, and use every one of his natural instincts, whether it’s attack, run, duck, or attack running ducks.

Please, can we let this family go grieve in peace? They don’t need to be paraded around television, and they don’t need to be scrutinized by national press.

As for the zoo? Well, I don’t think there’s any real good argument for zoos other than showing children what depressed animals look like. I’ve never really been a fan, and I don’t support them as it is. Yes, there is some good being done for animals that are near-extinct and being bred in captivity, but for the most part, it’s a bunch of unhappy animals. Putting a bunch of ligers in a “lifelike environment” is a notch better than living in a cage, but it’s probably at the same level as putting a Manhattanite in Pierre, South Dakota. I’m sure he/she’ll survive, but it ain’t quite the same.