Authorities have killed a tiger that mortally wounded a B.C. woman in front of her children.
"The owner has just left the scene and he is clearly upset," CTV British Columbia's St. John Alexander reported from 100 Mile House, B.C. on Saturday.
He said authorities were trying to sedate the other tigers before euthanizing the male tiger at Siberian Magic Farm.
The other two tigers were not involved in the incident and will be allowed to live, he said.
Tanya Dumstrey-Soos died Thursday night when a Siberian tiger at her fiance's private zoo clawed first at her dress, then her legs.
The animal hit an artery and Dumstrey-Soos died from the wound.
Dumstrey-Soos was the fiance of Kim Carlson, the tiger's owner. They spoke briefly by phone as she lay dying.
After the attack, RCMP and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals officials spent hours at the zoo on Friday trying to decide what to do, Alexander said.
They returned Saturday and deliberated further before reaching the decision to end the big cat's life.
Part of the reason for the long time to reach a decision is the sketchiness of relevant animal protection laws.
One expert said that has to change, and rules have to be tightened up for the ownership of exotic, dangerous animals.
"A large cat like this in the wrong hands is as dangerous as an AK-47," said Mark Miller, a wildlife documentary filmmaker.
"Kim Carlson didn't get his animal from the forests of Siberia. This was captive bred. If you want to stop this problem, if you want to stop this problem of exotic pets in peoples' back yards, then go after the breeders and legislate against them."
Paul Springate of the Rainforest Reptile Refuge told The Canadian Press that people shouldn't own exotic animals.
''Stop it,'' he said. "Ban the sale and ownership.''
"The animals suffer in captivity,'' he said. "It's like taking a human being and keeping them in a closet. It's silent screaming that no one can hear.''
While the sale and purchase of such exotics is illegal, importation is not, and that puts Canada out of synch with many countries, he said.
The SPCA has also called for a ban on such ownership.
With a report from CTV's St. John Alexander and files from The Canadian Press
