The December 25, 2007 tiger mauling at San Francisco Zoo that left one young man and a beautiful tiger named Tatiana dead was a wakeup call alerting the public to fundamental and long-standing problems at the zoo. 

 

For too long, animal welfare has taken a back seat to other concerns at this institution.  Millions in tax dollars have been spent on non-essential visitor amenities, while the majority of animals continue to languish in cramped, decades-old zoo enclosures.

 

If animal welfare had been the priority at San Francisco Zoo, Tatiana and the zoo's other big cats would not have been stuck in their 1940's-era, concrete grottos. 

 

Had the zoo built the modern, spacious and safe enclosures that it promised to do for the animals a decade ago with the passage of a $47 million bond measure, the now infamous Christmas Day tiger tragedy would never have happened.

 

Reforming the San Francisco Zoo and transitioning it to a rescue facility that prioritizes animal welfare is the greatest tribute we can give to Tatiana and many other animals who have paid the with their lives for the zoos' irresponsible and callous attitude toward the well-being of the animals in its care.