Tiger's Fate Decided After Attacking Cleaning Worker at Florida Zoo
Some of the most common attractions at the zoo are the large, dangerous, exotic animals. They’re unusual and the power they represent is alluring to many people. So alluring, that some will make very poor choices for…
Some of the most common attractions at the zoo are the large, dangerous, exotic Animals. They’re unusual and the power they represent is alluring to many people.
So alluring, that some will make very poor choices for the rare opportunity to get up close and personal.
In a horrible tragedy that took place Wednesday night at the Naples Zoo in Florida, a tiger was shot and killed when a maintenance worker wandered into an unauthorized area and attempted to make contact with the large cat.
River Rosenquist, 26, had been hired through a third-party contractor to clean the gift shop and restrooms. On Wednesday night after hours, he decided to take a stroll, hop a fence and put his arm into the cage with Eko, the 8-year-old Malayan tiger — a critically endangered species, according to WBBH-TV.
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What happened next is what anyone could guess.
“Rosenquist, who had already breached an initial barrier, put his hand through the enclosure fence and the tiger grabbed it and pulled his arm into the enclosure,” the Collier County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook. “A CCSO deputy responded to the scene.”