Yes I have heard about Jerusalem syndrome. I don't think what happens to yahoos at the zoo is the same thing. Jerusalem syndrome is a break with reality; yahoo zoo behavior is not understanding reality as relates to wild animals.
We once had some idiot soul get into the water with our river otters. The otters tore him up. He thought they look cute and playful (which they are) but he didn't understand this didn't mean they wanted to play with him.
And there have been several cases were some woefully ignorant person attempted to swim with the Polar bears. Polar Bears are among the most dangerous animals in the zoo. They often attempt to stalk their keepers. Those who work with them have to extremely careful. A moments inattention can get their heads tore clean off.
The pissing Tiger - I too had a very close call. I once had a friend who was a keeper at our zoo. His job for a time was night watch. He would tour the zoo checking on all the animals who were in their night closers - which in some cases means inside a large cage and not out in the exhibit.
One night he took me and my then husband on rounds with him. It was one of the best nights of my life. I had a blast.
But back to tiger piss -
We have a massive male Siberian tiger who was bottle raised and so friendly, as tigers go. He would shove his huge head against the cage to get his ears scratched. Now - no way would I have entered his cage - but I did enjoy scratching his big ole head for him.
The other tiger at the time was a younger female. She would rub up against the cage and sort of courtel - acting friendly. But if you got in front of her cage, she would whip around and blast urine at you.
I had been warned about this by my friend - but wanted a better look at her. The warning had been appropriate. She sent a blast out not unlike what you might imagine a fire hose could do. I mean it hit the facing wall with real force. She almost got me. As it was, it was just hilarious - but had she hit her target, I doubt I'd of been laughing.
There was a second female visiting from another zoo that had two cubs about the size of a maybe an Australia Shepherd. Big, but still kittens. My then husband wanted a better look at them. After maybe ten seconds of eye balling this stranger, who was eye balling her cubs, she hit the fence with a roar that set our ears ringing. I mean she slamed into the fence with her full body - hanging onto it with all four feet - roaring directly into the man's face. My then husband had Tiger spit all over his face, and I am sure nearly pissed his pants.
The other amazing memory of that night was the elephant. They too, are among the most dangerous of the zoo animals - but no doubt also amoung (if not the) most intelligent. There was this one who reached her trunk out toward me, as if she wanted to say hello or smell me or something.
My friend was very nervous and insisting she could snap my arm like a twig. Well I know that. But she was being so gently inquisitive, I held my arm out so she could run her trunk along it. I couldn't get over how delicate she was with her trunk. She was gently plucking at the fine hair on my arm - she could lift an individual hair and feel it and go on to another. I was fascinated with this - then she ran her trunk the length of my arm, from elbow to wrist, leave a huge snot streak! She then turned away smiling. I swear - she was smiling.
I am aware I could have been badly hurt. I knew it then. But I made the decision it was worth the risk of a broken arm to interact with the elephant. She couldn't have killed me, because she couldn't have gotten to me except with her trunk. So I took a chance I would never suggest anyone else take. But for me - it was worth it. I'll never for get it.
About the San Diego Tiger - A friend of mine who lives out there was telling me there is considerable proof the young men were teasing / tormenting the tiger. She says the lawyers have all the info tied up right now. But apparently, there is considerable proof.
I think you're referring to "Jerusalem syndrome," where hundreds of people travel annually to Jerusalem under the delusion that they are god. I've seen a lot of people "break from reality" in the holy sites but these guys with the syndrome are on permanent leave of absence.
No - the other poster is correct. Normal men and women go to see the Holy Land and find they are effected with the delusion they are Jesus, or a prophet maybe - but once they are removed from Israel and Jerusalem, they recover completely, and are left to wonder what on earth happen to them. The mental hospitals in Israel are trained to deal with this, and coined the term Jerusalem Syndrome; The cure is get them on a plane home ASAP. Frontline once did a whole show on this. Fascinating stuff.
