Tatiana[5]: measurements and memorials

[mdlbear]

According to this article in the Chron (taken up by several others, including NY Times, Guardian Unlimited), the wall surrounding Tatiana's enclosure was measured at only 12.5 feet high. That's a lot less than the 20' zoo officials originally said it was, and 4' less than the 16.5' recommended for safety. It's also less than what's written on the blueprints. Apparently the kids weren't the only stupid primates involved.

Of course, since that part of the zoo was built in the 1940s, it might be difficult to pin the blame on anybody in particular.

Meanwhile, Wired points to a memorial page on MySpace. Like most MySpace pages it's garish and plays music at you, but I guess that's appropriate for a 17-year-old.

I wonder whether anyone will make a memorial page for Tatiana.

[added 10:47 -- there's a Wikipedia page for Tatiana.]

Comments

[pocketnaomi.livejournal.com]

Probably, but in case they don't, why don't you? I think it's a wonderful idea; she deserves to be remembered.

[mdlbear]

Well, it probably wouldn't be on MySpace, but it would be worth doing somewhere.

I'll note that there's a Wikipedia page for her.

[pocketnaomi.livejournal.com]

There's a Wikipedia page for almost everything.

[mdlbear]

No, there isn't. But I suppose somebody could create one...

[dejla.livejournal.com]

It's probably a case of primate stupidity combined with tiger nature. Anytime you have primates in trees, they can't resist throwing things down on tigers, and tigers naturally resent a potential dinner hitting them with things.

I sometimes think it's a miracle anyone lives past 17 -- there seems to be a two or three year period where the hormones take over and the cerebellum stops growing.

And tigers are tigers. They aren't big cuddly Persians. And even a little Persian can hand out some very nasty bites and clawing if provoked.

It's a sad situation all around.

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

I just feel very bad about this. The Portland paper ran an article on Tatiana next to an article about a fatal mauling at the Portland zoo (20 years ago, or something like that.) I don't know yet about the Tatiana case--I get the impression that the verdict isn't in and there's a lot of contradictory information floating around.

But the lion case was plainly (though the paper didn't put it quite this way) three adolescent jerks breaking into the zoo and one of them dangling himself into various cages to prove what a man he was--until he did it to the lions, with predictable results. The other two jerks were so mad they broke back into the zoo two days later and shot the lions. As*holes.

[mdlbear]

The two cases sound remarkably similar. And the kids who survived are known troublemakers - they have a court date coming up on charges of public intoxication and resisting arrest. It may take a long time to get the truth out of them, if we ever do.

[peahopeless.livejournal.com]

>I wonder whether anyone will make a memorial page for Tatiana.
>[added 10:47 -- there's a Wikipedia page for Tatiana.]

Thanks for that wikipedia link. My hubby has added the Save the Tiger Fund to our Christmas list for a yearly 'in memory of' donation in Tatiana's name. Just an idea.

(Sorry, I know you don't know me. I'm a friend of a couple other people on the alexander list ... ladyqkat and ladyfox.)

[mdlbear]

That's a nice thought. And thanks for the intro -- I'm always curious about the folks who show up in my comments.