A TIGER-MAULING death at a Chinese zoo is under investigation by local authorities who say the victim climbed a fence into the tiger’s enclosure.
The attack occurred Saturday at a resort on Dongqian Lake in eastern China’s Zhejiang province. A local government statement says the victim, identified only by his surname of Zhang, climbed a fence with a friend instead of buying tickets.
Upon entering the enclosure, several tigers encircled Zhang and one reportedly attacked him. A photo shared on Chinese social media appears to show him lying next to the tiger. Zhang died later in a hospital.
State television reported the tiger was shot dead by local police, and three others nearby were dispersed using firecrackers.
According to the Shanghaiist , Zhang was visiting the zoo with his wife, kids, his coworker surnamed Li and Li’s wife.
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Li was quoted as saying that the women and children bought tickets and entered the zoo without incident, but the two men ignored warnings, and chose instead to try scaling the walls of the tiger enclosure to gain free entry.
