New Tigers

I do not intend for this blog to solely chronicle what I've been working on; however, zoo projects take so much time and thought I feel they are worth documenting.  The Oakland Zoo recently received four additional tigers and we we're contracted with to provide some perimeter security upgrades as well as to design and build some sun decks to keep them busy. 

If you have a sun platform that is 9' x 8' and elevated 9' off the ground how wide is the platform at a diagonal and if a tiger were to run from one corner to another how far could said tiger leap???  Yes this was a real life, deal with it question posed to me on a Monday afternoon at the end of a 12 hour day.

Divide the rectangle in two to visualize the hypotenuse, apply Pythagoras's and determine that the diagonal is just a smidge over 12'; now the tough part.....How much has the tiger eaten?  How strong are its legs?  Has it mentioned that it would like to "Blow this joint"!?

Simple, off a running start the tiger can leap 16' from the platform; construct the platforms a minimum of 16' 1/2' feet from the perimeter fence and you're golden.  Don't you feel safe general public?  After all they are sun decks, not exit platforms.......