Several years ago I was installing some equipment at a local zoo, and had the interesting opportunity to get close to some juvenile tigers. Like, petting close. They were neat. They were calm, and well fed, and were friendly enough. Most importantly, they were on the other side of chain-link fence. But I did get to scratch their ears and that type of thing. Was neat.
On the other hand, they are big animals, immensely powerful, and deadly silent. I was working right next to the fence, and glanced at the big male, and he was like 20 yards away. About 12 seconds later I looked again, and he was within two feet of me, and I had not heard a thing.
One of the zookeepers mentioned however, that if the Snow Leopard were to get into the enclosure with the three juvenile tigers, they would have three dead tigers.
Wow...