Florida: Tiger attacks cleaning staff in the zoo - now a man is threatened with criminal charges
Created: 01/01/2022, 01:04 PM
From: Martina Lippl
Tiger grabs a man by the arm in the zoo: footage from the police camera shows the operation.
© Collier County Sheriff's Office via AP / dpa
A man was attacked by a Malay tiger in a Florida zoo.
Now the cleaner is threatened with a criminal complaint.
Florida - The cleaner was hired to clean the toilets and the gift shop, but not the animal enclosure, according to the Collier County Sheriff's Office.
The 26-year-old was in an unauthorized area of the zoo in the animal enclosure after the zoo was closed.
The young man was probably trying to stroke and feed the animal through the bars when the tiger grabbed his arm and pulled him into his enclosure.
Tiger bites his arm - man dials the emergency number 911
The cleaner himself dialed the emergency number. The sheriff's office published the call and later also footage of the operation recorded by a police officer's body cam. The video shows how police officers run through the dark zoo to the animal enclosure. Shocking cries for help can be heard over and over again. The "Please help me" (in German: Please, help me ") goes through your marrow and bone. On site, the emergency services try to detach the man from the tiger. But the predator did not release its victim's arm. According to the police, there was no choice but to shoot the animal to save the 26-year-old's life.
"Our deputy did everything he could in this situation and he ultimately made the only possible decision to save this man's life," said Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk in a press release. The Malay tiger "Eko" had to die.
Eko retired to the rear of the enclosure after the shot.
Then a drone was used to determine the tiger's injuries.
A zoo veterinarian anesthetized the tiger and then entered the enclosure.
The veterinarian could only determine the death of the tiger.
The incident occurred on Wednesday (December 29, 2021) at Napels Zoo in Florida after it was closed to visitors.
The cleaner was seriously injured and hospitalized, authorities said.
The investigation should now clarify whether the cleaner is threatened with a criminal complaint.
Malaysia tiger: big cat critically endangered
The Malay tiger named "Eko" was eight years old, according to the authorities.
Malay tigers or Malaysia tigers (Panthera tigris jacksoni) are threatened with extinction.
The big cat is considered a national animal in the Southeast Asian country.
There are currently only 200 specimens left in the wild.
“Eko” recently moved to Napels Zoo in Florida, according to the zoo's website and was unveiled in February 2020: “Eko is a great ambassador for his species. When visitors see him, we hope they do they fall in love and learn how they can do their part to save his cousins in the wild. "
The Malaysia tiger (photo) is critically endangered.
Currently, a maximum of 200 specimens still live in the wild.
© Slavek Ruta / imago
The zoo announced the incident on its website and made it clear: The external cleaning staff was outside the “tiger's habitat”, between the public barrier and an unauthorized area.
The young man was never able to enter the tiger's enclosure.
The zoo has a security system and protocol with two keys and two people.
The aim of the system is to prevent a single person from entering a dangerous room, either willfully or accidentally.
(ml)
In Germany, an incident made headlines in the summer: During a photo shoot, a leopard attacked and seriously injured a woman.
On the other hand, a leopard alarm in North Rhine-Westphalia ended more mildly: the police moved out after an unusual emergency call - and were amazed