What a Tiger Sees

They're not territorial, but they react strongly to any changes in their environment.
By Sarah Kliff | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Dec 28, 2007 | Updated: 4:30 p.m. ET Dec 28, 2007

The mystery of how a tiger at the San Francisco Zoo managed to escape from its cage, kill one visitor and maul two others is getting clearer. Three days after the fatal attack, investigations by the San Francisco Police Department disclosed that the Lion House's wall was nearly four feet shorter than the height recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which accredits zoos in the United States. But another factor could have been involved: there have been reports that one of the victims provoked the tiger, named Tatiana, by dangling his legs over the exhibit wall. "If an animal is used to spectators on the other side of the barricade and someone … has their leg dangling over, that could be a problem," says Scott Lope, operations director of Big Cat Rescue, an animal sanctuary in Florida. "They could be provoked by anything out of the ordinary." Lope explains that while tigers are not particularly territorial animals, they are extremely attuned to changes in their environment. Lope, who has spent 10 years working with tigers and other big cats, spoke to NEWSWEEK's Sarah Kliff about what provokes a tiger to attack and why the number of such attacks has been on the rise for more than a decade. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: There have been some reports that the victim was taunting the tiger by dangling his legs over the exhibit wall. Is this something that could provoke a tiger to attack?
Scott Lope: These animals are wild. They are completely unpredictable. You don't know what might make them angry. You know that you can provoke an animal, especially a tiger. They are on the top of the food chain, so it doesn't take much to provoke them. You might say they have a bit of a shorter fuse than a deer, which would simply run away.

So taunting could have been a factor in this case?
I think it definitely increases the chance of attack. If this is an animal that is used to spectators on the other side of the barricade and someone has crossed or has their leg dangling over, that could be a problem. They could be provoked by anything out of the ordinary, whether or not it's somebody deliberately provoking them.

What is it about taunting that could provoke a tiger? Is it that they feel threatened, see prey, or is it something else?
It's more that they notice anything out of the ordinary. In the wild, they look for an animal that may be limping or one of the prey animals that might be acting differently. They notice everything. They are intelligent enough to know when people are safely behind a fence and would absolutely notice something dangling over a wall.

Do you think there's anything to do with territoriality at play here? Was the tiger trying to protect its space?
I don't think it's territoriality. They are solitary animals, so they don't really have much of a sense of territoriality. Canines travel in a big pack, but with cats, especially tigers, it's a little different. Tigers … wouldn't even live with mates unless they are actually mating.

What about a dominance relationship?
Some may come from a background where they were forced do things, like an entertainment background. That's when humans are trying to establish dominance. [Tatiana came from a zoo background. She lived in the Denver Zoo before moving to the San Francisco Zoo last December.] But the bottom line is they are so unpredictable. Even the ones that tolerate me most that I work with, all bets are off.

Your organization has tracked 530 attacks by big cats since 1990. That seems like a pretty high number. Why so many?
These attacks seem to increase each year. It's shocking to the average person. But there are no federal laws that regulate tigers or big cats. The most obvious problem is that they eat things the size of people. These are killing machines; they are predators, and almost everything about them is designed to hunt and kill. It's incredibly difficult to house and safely cage a 600-pound tiger.

Your organization often rescues tigers from private ownership. What drives people to own these animals, which pose a pretty big safety risk?
It's an ego thing. It's a desire for someone to have something that makes them unique. They have a tendency to collect many animals. It's hard for people to stop—especially if you've raised some of the animals from a cub. It makes them very popular; everyone wants to see the tiger cub and play with it. But when the animal reaches sexual maturity, then one day you can't handle them anymore, and that's when the problems start.

You often work with mature tigers. Do you ever get scared?
Absolutely. We have over a dozen, and it's a risk to work with them. Just being complacent around them could get you killed. Every day you have to be on your toes, no matter how docile they seem.

© 2007 Newsweek, Inc.

Carlos's father, who said the family has hired a lawyer, on Thursday night said his son was "a hero" for trying to scare the tiger as it attacked the older friend. "I would do the same," said Carlos Sousa Sr.

In another development, Carlos' father alleged Paul Dhaliwal lied about his son's whereabouts that day. Carlos's family was worried when he failed to turn up Christmas morning to open presents and began calling friends to find out where he may be.

Carlos Sr. had called Paul Dhaliwal around 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. Christmas Day - just an hour or two before the tiger attacks. He wanted his son home to celebrate Christmas dinner with his mother.

But Dhaliwal reportedly told Sousa he hadn't seen his son for days.

"We're just so upset about that," said the victim's cousin, Christina Sousa-Habenicht, 26. "We feel we could have prevented something. We just have this huge 'What if? - what if we could have talked to him. Instead his friend lied. What kind of friend is that?"

Ever since the family found out the day after Christmas that Carlos Jr., was killed in the attack, they've been trying to reach the Dhaliwals' parents. They have left messages but the family hasn't returned their calls. Carlos Jr. considered Paul Dhaliwal one of his best friends.

"We have a lot of questions," the teenager's mother, Marilza Sousa, said Thursday. "We want to know how it happened and only the two boys can tell us."

Police said Thursday that they have spoken to the brothers at San Francisco General Hospital, where they are said to be recovering well from their injuries and are expected to be released within days. But police would not reveal what, if anything, the men told them about the tiger attack.

The Dhaliwal family remained behind closed doors at their San Jose home as reporters gathered outside. Court records indicated Paul and Kulbir Dhaliwal have both been arrested on minor offenses this year.

Paul Dhaliwal was arrested for being drunk in public on March 24 after being seen allegedly drinking beer and smoking marijuana at an In-N-Out Burger on Capitol Expressway. He was sentenced to attend 10 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

On Sept. 7, Paul and Kulbir Dhaliwal were arrested in charges of public drunkenness. Paul Dhaliwal was also charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest. They have a Jan. 15 court date.