OAKLAND -- Zoo officials throughout the country will be watching closely for the results of an investigation into how a 350-pound Siberian tiger at San Francisco escaped its enclosure Tuesday and fatally mauled a visitor, the director of Oakland's zoo said Wednesday.

Tatiana, a 4-year-old female tiger, somehow found her way outside the zoo's grotto area, enclosed by a 20-foot moat and an 18-foot wall, around closing time Tuesday afternoon, and killed 17-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr., of San Jose.

About 300 yards away, the tiger then wounded two other male visitors, who are now recovering at San Francisco General Hospital.

The tiger was fatally shot by San Francisco police.

Oakland Zoo Executive Director Dr. Joel Parrott said Wednesday afternoon his staff will meet Thursday to reinforce the zoo's safety protocols for handling animals.

The Oakland Zoo has two tigers but has never had any problems with them, Parrott said.

"It's mainly a reminder in being attentive in our policies and procedures," Parrott said, noting protocols such as always closing cage doors, double-locking gates and having a second attendant on hand.

"Whenever such a major tragedy occurs within our profession, it does cause us to have pause and sit down and reevaluate...to be reassured that we've covered all our bases," Parrott said.

Parrott noted that the zoo had a similar review after a fatal jaguar attack of a zookeeper in Denver in February.

After an elephant at the Oakland Zoo killed a zookeeper in 1991, "it forced us to reevaluate our entire program," Parrott said. Since then, the zoo adopted a policy that no zookeepers would ever go in with the elephants, he said.

According to Parrott, zoos accredited by the Maryland-based Association of Zoos and Aquariums, including Oakland and San Francisco, maintain minimum standards for large cat enclosures, such as 12-foot walls for lions and 15-foot walls for tigers.

Police and zoo officials are still trying to determine if Tatiana escaped on her own or whether there was human involvement.

"The whole zoo profession wants to know the answer to that question," said Parrott. "Because if they can scale a perfectly vertical 20-foot wall, that sends a shock wave through the whole (zoo) organization across the country," he said.

Parrott added that he was "not anticipating any significant changes" at zoos, resulting from the San Francisco Zoo attack.

"But you know, you just never know," said Parrott.

Jim Maddy, president and CEO of the AZA, a nonprofit organization that has accredited more than 200 zoos and aquariums, issued a statement today expressing sympathy for the victims and their families, and maintaining that San Francisco Zoo remains safe.

"The San Francisco Zoo is a great zoo," Maddy said. "It's an accredited AZA member in good standing, and it has our support during this difficult time."

"All AZA-accredited zoos are safe. Until this incident, there had not been a visitor fatality resulting from an animal escape at an AZA-accredited zoo," Maddy stated.

The AZA will, however, require the San Francisco Zoo submit a report on the incident to its accreditation commission for a review and determination of "any actions that need to be taken."