A Malayan tiger named Eko was shot and later died after biting the arm of a cleaner at Naples Zoo in Florida, US. The incident occurred after the zoo had closed for the day.
The cleaner, a man in his 20s working for an outside company, entered an unauthorised area near the tiger enclosure. Officials said he may have attempted to pet or feed the animal, both of which are prohibited.
When a sheriff's deputy arrived, the tiger had the man's arm in its mouth. The deputy tried to make the tiger release the arm but was forced to shoot it. The animal retreated to the back of its pen, where it was sedated and later died.
The cleaner sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to hospital. The zoo stated that third-party cleaners are only permitted to clean toilets and the gift shop, not animal enclosures.
Eko, an eight-year-old Malayan tiger, had lived at the zoo since early 2020. Malayan tigers are critically endangered, with fewer than 200 remaining in the wild.
