Tiger shot dead after being found with cleaner’s arm in its mouth

A Tiger at Naples Zoo has been shot dead after it bit the arm of a cleaner yesterday.

A Tiger at Naples Zoo in Florida has been shot dead after it bit the arm of a cleaner yesterday, December 29.

It is thought that the cleaner, 20 and working for a third-party cleaning service, “traversed an initial fence barrier and put his arm through the fencing of the tiger enclosure” possibly trying to pet or feed the animal, according to local officials.

Eko, an eight-year-old Malayan tiger, had the cleaner’s arm in its mouth as a sheriff’s deputy tried to get the tiger to release the man but was forced to shoot the animal.

NBC News has reported that the seriously injured cleaner has been taken to hospital.

Happy #TongueOutTuesday from Malayan tiger Eko!#NaplesZoo #Tiger pic.twitter.com/J8ZcZRGUqr

— Naples Zoo (@NaplesZoo) December 28, 2021

It was reported that the man had been hired to clean the toilets and the gift shop and was not meant to be in the tiger enclosure area, he had put his arm into the enclosure at around 6:30pm when the zoo was closed.

Collier County Sheriff’s Office said: “The first deputy on scene kicked the enclosure and tried to get the tiger to release the man’s arm from its mouth but the deputy was forced to shoot the animal.”

They added the cleaner appeared to have “traversed an initial fence barrier and put his arm through the fencing of the tiger enclosure.”

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