The white tiger killed this man at the Delhi zoo.
A white tiger killed a 20-year-old man who apparently fell into its enclosure at the Delhi zoo on Tuesday.
Around 1 pm, the man, Maqsood, fell 18 feet into a dry moat in the tiger enclosure, eyewitnesses said. Moments later, the full-grown tiger could be seen dragging him off by the neck.
Some said he lost his balance while trying to get a closer look; the zoo authorities claimed he jumped in despite warnings. (Read:
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"He crossed the barrier of the enclosure and jumped in," said Zoo Director Amitabh Agnihotri. Other officials said a guard had warned Maqsood after he crossed the outer fence and had even brought him out, but he went back in.
The police have registered a case of death due to negligence against unknown accused. (Read:
Six Years Ago, an Inebriated Man Fell Into the Lion's Enclosure in Delhi Zoo)
A witness said he raced to the tiger enclosure after hearing screams, to see the man locked in the tiger's jaws, writhing in pain. "No one helped him," said Himanshu, a visitor. An image taken by witnesses showed the young man cowering before the animal, his hands folded.
Others said the young man suffered for almost 15 minutes before he died. The security guards could do nothing, since they didn't have tranquilizer guns or wireless sets to call in reinforcements, they said. The zoo authorities have denied the charge. (Read:
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The body remained at the spot for hours, until guards managed to scare the tiger into a cage.
But some claimed the tiger had attacked after being provoked. "Stones were thrown at it," said Bittu, who filmed the incident on his cellphone.
Maqsood, who was reportedly mentally imbalanced, stayed in west Delhi with his parents and brother and worked in a factory. "The last time I spoke to him, he said he is going to work," said his mother Ishrat, who was in shock.
Zoo employees call the tiger Vijay. Born in 2007 in the zoo, the animal weighs 200 kg and has never attacked anyone before. It is one of the six white tigers in the zoo, and shares its enclosure with two others who were not seen today.
White tigers are found in southern and eastern Asia, particularly India, and owe their appearance to a recessive gene. They are regarded as an endangered species.