SF Zoo Tiger Escapes, Kills, Mauls

(San Francisco, California) Police continue to investigate how a Siberian tiger named Tatiana was able to escape its enclosure in the zoo and have not ruled out criminal activity.

The 300-pound cat was shot dead by police after killing one man and injuring two others.

The tiger - the same animal that chewed a keeper's arm during an attack last December - was shot to death outside a zoo cafe by four officers who managed to distract the animal as it mauled one of its victims.

The horrifying violence, which occurred just after the zoo's 5 p.m. closing time while dozens of patrons were still inside, began when the tiger somehow managed to gain its liberty from the grotto.

Tatiana did not leave its grotto through the normal door, officials said. With a 15-foot moat and a 20-foot concrete wall, its unclear how the grotto was breached.

Last December, Tatiana chewed the flesh off of zookeeper Lori Komejan's arm during a public feeding demonstration.

Is it possible that an animal rights activist freed the tiger?