Martha, the New Tiger in Town

Martha reportedly eats chickens and rabbits, not nachos

​Nearly four years after Tatiana the tiger was shot to death when she leaped from her cage at the San Francisco Zoo and went on a bloody rampage, mauling and killing Carlos Sousa Jr., the zoo has brought in a new big feline for onlookers to admire up close.

Martha, a 295-pound Siberian tiger, arrived in San Francisco in May, but was quarantined while she was screened for any diseases. Now, the "playful and laid-back" tiger has officially moved into her home at the zoo, where she's reportedly been lounging and checking out her new digs. 

"I think it brings some closure and renewed hope for us here at the zoo," executive director Tanya Peterson tells the Chron.

Actually the renewed hope for the zoo came the day that it rebuilt its grotto wall to a height of 22 feet. That ought to keep Martha away from kids hurling nachos at her. The zoo was heavily criticized after Sousa's death because of the weak emergency response and because the tiger grotto wall was four feet shorter than the national recommendation. The zoo ended up paying out more than $2.5 million for the attack, most of which went to Sousa's family.

The Henry Doorly Zoo of Omaha, Neb., offered Martha as a donation. And with the grounds now secure, San Francisco welcomes her as the new tiger in town.

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