An organization that accredits zoos says the San Francisco Zoo had an "impressive" response to a tiger escape on Christmas Day but could have done more initially, according to a report the zoo released Tuesday. A Siberian tiger got out of its enclosure on Christmas Day, killing a 17-year-old young man and injuring two of his friends, who are brothers. Police shot and killed the tiger."The overall response by the zoo to this major emergency was impressive," the Association of Zoos and Aquariums said in an accreditation report the zoo released Tuesday. "There were some exceptions, however."
The association criticized a zoo staffer for doubting brothers Paul and Kulbir Dhaliwal when they said a "'lion was out," putting the staffer and a security guard at risk. The "lion" turned out to be the escaped tiger.
The organization also recommended improvements, especially for the big cat enclosures. The group inspected the San Francisco Zoo on two days in January.
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