Tiger fatally mauls mate at San Diego Zoo
Source: AP
SAN DIEGO (AP) The San Diego Zoo said Monday that a female Malayan tiger was fatally mauled by her intended mate during an attempt to breed.
The female tiger, named Tiga Tahun, died Saturday of neck injuries and breathing difficulties, the zoo said. It was the first breeding encounter for either animal, the only Malayan tigers at the facility. No visitors saw the attack.
" The encounter) began with positive interaction between the two big cats. Unfortunately this changed quickly and zookeepers were unable to separate the two animals," the zoo said in a statement.
The tigers had rotated between being on exhibit and in their bedrooms, making them familiar with the other's scent, zoo spokeswoman Jenny Mehlow said. They had seen each other often and even touched noses, separated by a barrier.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Tiger-fatally-mauls-mate-at-San-Diego-Zoo-5088658.php?cmpid=hpbn
mimi85
(1,805 posts)these beautiful creatures should be left in the wild. The last time we went to the SD zoo, there was a camel in obvious distress just walking around in circles non-stop. Very sad. I understand wanting to save some animals from extinction and I don't have a problem with that. It's kind of like the elephants at a circus, depressing to see those wonderful animals trained to do "tricks" to supposedly amuse us.
There have been several instances of injuries and deaths at Sea World with the killer whales. So depressing.
Humanist_Activist
(7,670 posts)So, in many instances, these animals, and their species, aren't better off in "the wild" than in Zoos or wildlife parks. Sometimes the choices are either to have them in captivity, or let them go slowly extinct. Its a fucked up situation.
TDale313
(7,820 posts)closeupready
(29,503 posts)On the other hand, those like cougars, leopards, and lions seem to be doing okay, or even thriving.
If there is a consolation to the sad prospect of losing tigers, it's the knowledge that felines are a highly successful .... what's the term, family? .... family in the animal kingdom, and thus, after humans have killed themselves, felines will thrive, multiply, evolve into other forms of big cat.
The Earth is vitally alive, despite what sometimes seem like our best efforts to control or kill it.
Humanist_Activist
(7,670 posts)Pantherinae (which includes the tiger, the lion, the jaguar, and the leopard), and Felinae (which includes the cougar, the cheetah, the lynxes, the ocelot, and the domestic cat).
The Earth, I don't doubt, will survive us, it has a good billion years of life left to it before the sun snuffs that out through increasing temperatures. But in the much shorter term than that, we are contributing to the Sixth mass extinction, the Holocene Extinction. Whether we survive or not, who knows, I hope we wise up and leave the planet permanently and let its biosphere develop without our interference, or find ways to live sustainable on it without further damaging the ecosystems of the planet.
My biggest fear is that we end up not killing tigers, but ourselves in our own stupidity, we have lucked out so far, we have had a relatively stable climate, perfect to develop agriculture, civilization, and technology, for the past 10,000 years. If we fuck up the climate and biosphere too badly now and in the future, then you might as well kiss our asses goodbye, or, at least, be prepared for a great population reduction, and we aren't talking through generations, but decades.
ON EDIT: This may seem silly, but there's this evolutionary biologist on youtube that actually discusses the evolution of "Feliforme" i.e. the cats:
He talks kinda fast, and his channel is mostly to knock down creationist arguments, but there is a LOT of scientific information here, and its just cool. He has a video before this talking about the other great group the Caniformes, Dogs and Bears.
Bradical79
(4,490 posts)When you figure in habitat loss and poachers...
liberal_at_heart
(12,081 posts)Zoos are important because they teach the public about wildlife. They also preserve species that are going extinct.
TDale313
(7,820 posts)aaaaaa5a
(4,667 posts)Liberty Belle
(9,535 posts)Most of the animals are cared for as well as possible in a zoo setting. The tigers have a "Tiger River" exhibit with water, rocks, forest...not a cage at least. Still it's not the wild, but some tiger species are nearly extinct in the wild so sadly this may be the safest place for many of them.
Cha
(297,322 posts)heartbreaking, TT.
silverweb
(16,402 posts)[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]San Diego has one of the best endangered breeding programs around, staffed with dedicated professionals, and I can only imagine how devastated they all are.
Such a tragic thing to have happen.