Family of man killed by tiger in eastern China blames zoo for negligence
The walls around the animal’s enclosure were obviously too easy to climb over, says family of man who was trying to sneak in without paying
The family of a man mauled to death by a tiger at a zoo in eastern China has accused the management of negligence for not sufficiently securing the premises and the animals’ enclosure where he was attacked, according to an interview on news portal Sina video.
Last Sunday’s tragedy occurred when the 40-year old man, surnamed Zhang, climbed over two three-metre walls and a wire fence into the tiger enclosure to avoid paying the 130 yuan entrance fee at the Ningbo Youngor Zoo in Zhejiang province, according to the zoo’s management.
Although it is not known for sure, Zhang was probably unaware that he had climbed into the tigers’ enclosure. He was accompanied by another man, named Li, who also climbed the walls but did not follow him into the tiger’s area.
Security footage showed at least three tigers approaching a man in a blue jacket and black trousers in the enclosure that was separated from zoo visitors by a moat a high stone wall.
The man was seen resisting and kicking one tiger which had its jaws around his neck and head, and did not let go even after zoo staff set off firecrackers to try and scare it away. The tiger was later shot dead while Zhang was rushed to hospital, where was later declared dead.
