Were you as outraged as we were at the news that a Siberian tiger had been killed the other day? Apparently, some "kids" (actually older teens) who were visiting the zoo [in San Francisco] taunted this tiger, and--somehow--the tiger escaped from its enclosure. The tiger proceeds to attack the guys who taunted it, killing one of them. So what happens to the tiger? It's shot to death. Why? Who knows!Why is it so hard for people to understand that wild animals are not supposed to be kept locked up in zoos (or circuses...or backyards...etc.)? It's a fucking tiger, for heaven's sake. Tigers have every right to defend themselves in the one way they know how: By attacking. It's very sad that someone was killed, even though he apparently taunted the tiger, but why punish the tiger for doing what its instincts tell him to do?
While we're on the topic of zoos/animals in captivity, let me say that I hate them! It's disgraceful--to say nothing of inhumane--to keep wild animals in captivity for the entertainment of human animals. Each time I hear about a "killer elephant going on a rampage," all I can think about is, gee, if that elephant hadn't been confined to a tiny living area and/or made to perform stupid tricks, that never would have happened!
Please don't patronize circuses, as they're easily the worst offenders when it comes to mistreating animals that should be in the wild. At least zoos have good intentions, i.e., when they're attempting to stop a certain species from becoming extinct, but even so, zoos are guilty of mistreatment, too. Elephants, for example, are supposed to roam, and they need LARGE expanses of space to roam, graze, and socialize as they're intended to. No matter how much space is given to elephants in zoos, it can never match what they'd have if left in their natural habitats.
Perhaps people will wise up and start putting two and two together when it comes to wild animals kept in captivity. Here's the secret: They don't belong in captivity, and when forced to live that way...something may very well go wrong.
