NAPLES, Fla. — A man suffered serious injuries after a tiger attack at the Naples Zoo, officials said.
The Collier County Sheriff's Office said after the zoo had closed, a member of a third-party cleaning service entered an unauthorized area near a tiger that was inside its enclosure. The cleaning company cleans the restrooms and the gift shops, not animal enclosures, the sheriff's office said.
The sheriff's office said the man was either petting or feeding the tiger, both of which are unauthorized and dangerous activities. Initial reports say the tiger grabbed the man's arm and pulled it into the enclosure.
The first deputy that arrived kicked the enclosure and tried to release the man's arm from its mouth, however, the deputy was forced to shoot the tiger, the sheriff's office said.
The man was seriously injured and was taken to a local hospital.
Officials said the tiger died. He was a Malayan tiger named Eko and was 8-years-old. He came to Naples Zoo in December 2019.
