The Ozark city zoo’s tiger exhibit featured Winnie, female Siberian tiger. She was five years old, 300 pounds, and stood three feet tall at shoulders. Siberian tigers are endangered; only about 500 in the wild, and about 200 exist in . They live up to 25 years.
Two brothers, and 19 years old, visited the zoo just closing. Earl and Merl had had a few . They went straight to Winnie's pit. They decided would be fun to tease her as she within the walled pit minding her own business. threw pine cones and sticks at Winnie, causing to growl. Then Earl hopped onto the wall dangled his legs into the tiger pit area. yelled at Winnie while Merl threw a plastic full of water. The bottle struck Winnie's head.
, she sprang toward the wall. She slashed at ’s foot, removing one of his shoes. Earl screamed, off the wall, and started running. Winnie quickly the height of the wall, and leapt. Although wall was 13 feet high, Winnie landed on of it. The two brothers were running toward zoo restaurant, figuring that there would be safety numbers. But they never made it. Winnie quickly up to one, and then the other. With bite to each of their necks, she killed both.