Tiger tragedy: Caretaker killed in Romanian zoo mishap
A tragic accident has occurred at the zoo in Pitești, Romania. A tiger caretaker neglected to close the cage door, allowing the animal to attack the man. He died instantly.
At the zoo in Pitești, approximately 120 kilometres from Bucharest, a tragic accident took place on Monday. The 52-year-old tiger caretaker entered the enclosure to clean it but failed to secure the protective cage door.
There were six animals inside. One of them managed to escape into the enclosure and attacked the man, biting him on the head.
Rescuers arrived at the scene within 10 minutes. However, it was already too late. The man died on the spot.
The management of the Pitești zoo confirmed that a breach of safety procedures led to the tragedy. The caretaker had been employed at the zoo since 2015.
The city's mayor, Cristian Gentea, expressed regret over the first such accident in 50 years. "It is a huge loss, and our thoughts at this time of grief are with the victim's family and all loved ones," he wrote on Facebook.
Zoo operations have been suspended. The prosecutor's office and the police are conducting an investigation into the caretaker's death.
Zoo authorities have announced changes in procedures to prevent similar situations in the future. The British newspaper "The Sun" reminds us that in 2000, a similar incident occurred when a tiger escaped from the zoo in Pitești due to an unlatched cage door.
Source: RMF FM
