A man was killed by a tiger in a wildlife park in eastern China on Sunday after he accidentally got into the enclosure of the big cats. This is second such attack in just six months.
According to the report, the authorities shot down the tiger at the Youngor Wildlife Park in the city of Ningbo after it refused to let go of the victim. The wildlife park is about 200 kilometres (125 miles) south of Shanghai.
In a video shot by a visitor at the wildlife park, the tiger was seen holding the man near his neck while two other tigers were surrounding them. Eventually, the man was mauled by one of the tigers as visitors screamed in shock.
In the video, one can also hear the firecrackers being used by the park staff to scare off the beasts. The tigers were eventually driven away after the staff used water cannons on them. "I saw the tiger mauling the person, whose face was covered with blood. Every time he sat up, the tiger pushed him down again," said an eyewitness, according to Daily Mail.
The victim was rushed to the hospital. However, he succumbed to his injuries later. According to Channel News Asia, it is still not clear why and how the man, who came to the park with his wife and child, got into the tiger enclosure.
PETA Vice President of International Campaigns Jason Baker said that the tiger enclosure should have had a secondary barrier to avoid such kinds of incidents. He also said that animals kept in enclosed areas experience profound level of stress, anxiety and agitation, but they are often neglected. "Zoos cannot tame tigers, and captivity is a living hell for them. In captivity, they cannot engage in any of the activities that give their lives meaning, and they seize opportunities to make their frustration and rage known," said Baker. This incident reminds us of the killing of Hambre, the 17-year-old Western lowland gorilla after a three-year-old boy climbed into its enclosure.
In July 2016, a woman and her mother were killed by tigers at Badaling Wildlife World. The incident happened when the woman got out of her car and a tiger jumped on her and dragged her away. Her husband and her mother ran behind her in vain. The mother also tried to hit the beast that killed her daughter, but she was attacked and mauled by two other tigers.
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