Thought this was pretty neat: The Link Very simple way to show that the enclosure at SF Zoo wasn't big enough.
Assuming the tiger in question could run fast enough to clear the fence is not quite enough. The tiger would have either to be able (1) to run up a ramp at the critical speed or (2) to jump hard enough to convert adequate horizontally directed motion into a vertical component. Humans can propel themselves over pole-vault bars, but the pole and skill in its use are not negligible factors.
kgp, it's safe to say that a tiger would be quite good at maximizing a jump since that's what they're good at. Also, shouldn't this "back of the envelope" type calculation be the basis for determining safety? How do they figure it? Just by what LOOKS impossible to jump?
We had a dog (German Shorthair Pointer) that could crouch and jump over an 8.5 foot tall kennel. He would jump to the top and then jump down to the lawn. A tiger is much bigger and stronger than a dog.
Just being able to run across the ground at 26.7 mph is insufficient, unless the Tiger can also jump with a velocity of 26.7 mph through the air. The fastest human sprinters can run at about 22 mph over short distances, but that doesn't mean the 100-yd dash champion is going to be nearly able to jump a 12.5 foot fence from 33 feet away. It does surprise me that even a tiger could do this at all. It'd be like jumping from a point halfway between the 3-point line and halfcourt up onto a platform that was attached on the top of the backboard.
It doesn't take a physics major to figure out that when you are drunk at the zoo, you f**k with the monkeys, not the tigers. Poo stains are easier to get out of your shirt than teeth marks are to get out of your skull. But seriously, has anyone here seen a house cat go from stand still to kitchen counter? Increase the scale and viola!
