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Police Fatally Shoot Tiger Attacking Man at Florida Zoo

AWFUL

Authorities said a sheriff’s deputy was “forced” to shoot the Malayan tiger after it refused to let go of a man’s arm.

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Naples Zoo via Facebook

A critically endangered tiger was fatally shot at a Florida zoo on Wednesday after attacking a man who stuck his arm into its enclosure. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office announced the news in a statement on Facebook, saying a deputy was “forced to shoot the animal” at the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens after it refused to let go of the man’s arm. The man, identified only as a member of a third-party cleaning service, “was either petting or feeding the animal” after hours, police said. He had bypassed a barrier and entered an “unauthorized area” to reach the animal. He’s now left with serious injuries after the Malayan tiger mangled his arm. The 8-year-old tiger, named Eko, had only arrived at the zoo two years ago.

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