According to a new report from NPR, a critically endangered tiger at the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, located in Naples, Florida, was shot and killed by police after it attacked a man who was employed at the zoo through a third party but was not authorized to be inside the tiger’s enclosure.
The Malayan tiger, dubbed Eko, was 8-years-old.
The report notes that the man, who is in his 20s, was left seriously injured by the tiger attack. It goes on to note that the victim is an employee at the zoo, working through a third-party service that’s responsible for the cleaning of the park’s gift shop and restrooms, per a post from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. The man did not have the authorization to go in or near the tiger’s enclosure.
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Police have stated that the victim allegedly put his arm into the tiger enclosure through a second fence barrier in an attempt to feed or pet the massive animal. Eko the tiger then grabbed the man’s arm and pulled him fully inside the enclosure, per the sheriff’s office.
Authorities have stated that, upon the arrival of the first deputy on the scene, they were unable to release the man’s arm from the tiger’s mouth, and ultimately “the deputy was forced to shoot the animal.”
Speaking with reporters following the attack, Naples Zoo director of public relations and marketing, Courtney Jolly, said that the zoo has a trained shoot team and lead darter for daily crisis activity and protocol when the zoo is open. However, this event reportedly took place after the zoo’s business hours, while the park was closed.
“At the end of the day, if a person is in imminent danger, they have to take that action,” Jolly stated of the incident, “and we support CCSO [Collier County Sheriff’s Office] and the officer had to, unfortunately, do his job.”
Bodycam footage of the tragic incident was released by authorities yesterday but be warned that the footage is very graphic.
Jolly stated that the zoo has never experienced an incident such as this before now and notes that no one has ever breached the safety barriers to put themselves in such a blatantly dangerous position before.
As of yesterday, the zoo opted to close its facility as the investigation into the event continues.
“We’re giving our staff some time to process what has happened, but also give them some time to start the grieving process and healing process,” Jolly states. “It is a very sad day at the zoo.”
You can read the full report from NPR here.
Featured image via screen capture
