Carlos Sousa Jr, a 17-year-old, was killed by an escaped Siberian tiger at the San Francisco Zoo on Christmas Day 2007 after spending his final moments trying to protect his friends.
The Attack
The four-year-old tiger named Tatiana jumped free of her enclosure just after closing time and attacked Carlos and his two friends. She first mauled Kulbir Dhaliwal while Carlos and Kulbir's brother Paul yelled and banged to distract the 350lb animal. Tatiana then turned on Carlos.
Carlos' father, Carlos Sousa Sr, said: "He didn't run. He tried to help his friend, and it was him who ended up getting it the worst." The tiger slashed Carlos's neck, killing him. The two brothers escaped to the zoo's cafe for help, but Tatiana followed the blood trail and attacked Kulbir and Paul again.
Police Response
When police arrived, officers found the tiger sitting next to one of the brothers, who was covered in blood. Police Chief Heather Fong said the victim yelled, “Help me! Help me!” as the tiger continued to attack. Police used patrol car lights to distract the tiger; it turned and approached them, and all four officers opened fire, killing it.
Both brothers were treated in hospital for deep bites and claw wounds on their heads, necks, arms, and hands and were discharged on December 29.
Investigation
Carlos's body was found near the tiger grotto. He had blunt-force injuries to head and neck, punctures and scratches, skull and spinal fractures, and a cut to his jugular vein believed to have killed him.
An investigation sought to explain how the tiger escaped. San Francisco Zoo Director Manuel Mollinedo said: "She had to have jumped. How she was able to jump that high is amazing to me." The zoo stated the moat was 33 feet wide, meeting standards, but the grotto walls were 12.5 feet, below the Association of Zoos and Aquariums recommendation of 16 feet 4 inches. Concrete chips found embedded in Tatiana's paws suggested she pushed against the moat wall to escape.
Mollinedo said safety inspectors had examined the wall, built in 1940, and never raised concerns. He also claimed the tiger must have been provoked.
Aftermath
The tiger enclosure did not reopen until early January 2008, after modifications: the wall height increased to 16.4 feet, glass fencing added to total 19 feet, and electrified hotwire installed. On the one-year anniversary, a concrete and tile sculpture of Tatiana was unveiled in San Francisco. Four police officers—Scott Biggs, Yukio Oshita, Kevin O'Leary, and Daniel Kroos—were honored for their bravery.
A suit filed by the Dhaliwal brothers against the zoo was settled for $900,000 in 2009. A separate suit by Carlos's parents was settled for an undisclosed sum.
