Kelly in Kansas

This young girl was having her senior pictures taken with a tiger. It's a tragic situation but it sounds like the tiger was only acting like it would to protect itself in the wild in response to the girl panicking (something trainers know not to do). There have apparently been moves to "introduce" wild non-native animals like tigers to the area. There is still a big difference between domesticated and wild animals . . . This same tiger has been inside grade schools for visits but I doubt that will happen anymore in this school district. Just because they look cute doesn't mean they don't act like they do in the wild. So sad.

The Joplin Globe - Online Edition: "Fouts gave the following account of what happened:

Doug Billingsly was holding a chain hooked to the tiger's collar and Hilderbrand was straddling the tiger near the end of the photo shoot when the tiger licked her foot, startling the girl.

Hilderbrand jumped and yanked her foot away and either squealed or screamed, startling the tiger which stood up and knocked Hilderbrand to the ground. The tiger then turned and hit Hilderbrand's head with its paw, possibly breaking her neck."