A teenager mauled to death by a tiger in a harrowing zoo tragedy spent his final moments desperately trying to protect his friends and save their lives.
Carlos Sousa Jr was just 17 when Siberian tiger, Tatiana, jumped free of her enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo and launched a ferocious attack on him and his two friends on Christmas Day in 2007.
It was just after closing time the four-year-old Big Cat pounced. She first started to maul one of Carlos’ friends, Kulbir Dhaliwal, while he and his friend’s brother desperately tried to distract the 350lb animal by yelling and banging. It was then Tatiana turned her deadly attention to carlos.
The teenager’s father, Carlos Sousa Sr, said: “He didn’t run. He tried to help his friend, and it was him who ended up getting it the worst.”
The tiger slashed at his neck, killing him. Carlos’ two friends managed to escape and raced to the zoo’s cafe for help. But Tatiana’s rampage wasn’t over and she followed the trail of blood and began to maul 23-year-old Kulbir and his brother, Paul, 19.
View 5 ImagesSunny Dahliwal (left) escorts one of his brothers that was injured in the tiger attack(Image: San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
When police arrived, officers found the tiger sitting next to one of the brothers, who was covered in blood. Police Chief Heather Fong said the victim yelled, “Help me! Help me!” as the tiger continued to attack.
Police used patrol car lights to distract the tiger, and it turned and began approaching them, leading all four to open fire, killing it.
Both brothers had to be treated in hospital for deep bites and claw wounds on their heads, necks, arms, and hands and were allowed home from hospital on December 29.
View 5 ImagesWounds are clearly visible on Paul Dhaliwal, one of two brothers that survived the tiger attack, as he leaves the funeral service for 17-year-old Carlos Sousa, Jr(Image: San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Carlos wasn’t so lucky. His broken body was found close to the tiger grotto. He had suffered blunt-force injuries to his head and neck, had many punctures and scratches to his head, neck and chest, as well as skull and spinal fractures. There was also a cut to his jugular vein, which is believed to have killed him.
Immediately an investigation was launched to explain how the tiger had escaped from its enclosure.
At the time San Francisco Zoo Director Manuel Mollinedo said: “She had to have jumped. How she was able to jump that high is amazing to me.”
View 5 ImagesOne of the two Dahliwal brothers injured in the tiger attack views the body of Carlos Sousa, Jr. at the funeral service(Image: San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
The zoo stressed the moat surrounding the enclosure Tatiana had been kept in was in line with national standards at 33 feet wide, although the walls of the tiger grotto were 12.5 feet. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums recommends these walls should be 16feet and 4inches high.
When Tatiana’s body was examined, concrete chips were found embedded in her paws, which investigators believe meant she had pushed against the wall of the moat as she escaped.
Mollinedo said safety inspectors had examined the wall, built in 1940, and never raised any red flags about its size.
Immediately after the attack, Mollinedo also claimed the tiger must have been provoked to have launched the attack.
A Siberian tiger, similar to Tatiana
The tiger enclosure did not re-open until early January, 2008, more than a year after the fatal attack and was modified to make it safer.
The height of the wall surrounding the area where the tigers are kept was increased to 16.4 feet and glass fencing was erected on top of that, taking the total height to 19 feet. Electrified hotwire was also installed.
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On the one year anniversary of Tatiana’s fatal attack, and the day she was hersefl shot dead, a life-sized concrete and tile sculpture of the tiger was unveiled in San Francisco.
Four of the police officers, Scott Biggs, Yukio Oshita, Kevin O’Leary and Daniel Kroos, who helped rescue the Dhaliwal brothers were also honoured for their bravery on that harrowing day
A suit filed by the Dhaliwal brothers against the zoo was settled for $900,000 in 2009 and a separate legal suit, filed by Carlos’ parents, was settled for an undisclosed sum.