May 16, 2008 - Family Sues SF Over Tiger Attack

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The parents of a 17-year-old boy killed by an escaped tiger at the San Francisco Zoo filed a claim against the city of San Francisco on Thursday, seeking monetary damages for the death of their son.

Carlos Sousa Jr. died on December 25 when a Siberian tiger broke out of its enclosure and attacked the teenager and two friends.

The tiger was killed when police shot it during the attack.

Sousa's parents, Carlos and Marilza Sousa, claim that the tiger was not properly housed, noting that its enclosure did not meet height standards set by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, an accreditation organization for U.S. zoos.

According to the lawsuit, the city "knew the tiger's enclosure was insufficient and thereby knowingly exposed zoo patrons to extremely dangerous, wild animals.”

The family is also suing to ensure that all enclosures at the San Francisco Zoo are modified to meet the standards set by the zoo association.

"They didn't house the animal properly, so they are responsible for both the death of Carlos Sousa Jr. and the tiger," the family’s attorney said. "If they had done their job properly, neither one of them would be dead."

The family claims that they have had difficulty gathering information for the suit because the police department has not released any reports about the investigation.

Last week, the city disputed claims filed by the Dhaliwal brothers, Sousa’s friends who were also injured in the attack, alleging negligence and defamation and asking for compensation for their injuries.