Tiger killed after biting arm of man in Fla. zoo

A Florida zoo president says a member of a cleaning crew made a "bad mistake" when he crossed a barrier to get near a Malayan tiger that grabbed his arm.

"We don't know, you know, what happened and why he did that," said Naples Zoo President Jack Mulvena. "We suspect it's to pet or to feed, but we don't know that for certain. Only River (Rosenquist) knows that."

"It was a bad mistake, bad decision," he said. "But but we only wish him well in the recovery"

A sheriff's deputy ended up having to shoot the tiger, named Eko, at the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens in southwest Florida, authorities said.

The Collier County Sheriff's Office said the man, River Rosenquist, a contract worker, was seriously injured Wednesday evening when he entered an unauthorized area near the tiger's enclosure. The man works for a third-party cleaning service contracted to clean restrooms and the gift shop, the sheriff's office said.

News outlets reported the 8-year-old tiger named Eko later died.

Investigators said they believe the tiger grabbed the man's arm after he breached a barrier fence and put his arm through the fence surrounding the enclosure.

The first deputy to arrive at the scene kicked the enclosure to try to get the tiger to release the man's arm from its mouth. "But the deputy was forced to shoot the animal," the report said.

The man was taken to a hospital in nearby Fort Myers, officials said.

According to the sheriff's office, the tiger retreated back into its enclosure after being shot. Deputies flew a drone inside and found the tiger was not responsive. A veternarian later sedated the tiger and had planned to examine the animal, the report said.

The Malayan tiger is one of the smallest tiger species found throughout the southern and central Malay Peninsula and southern parts of Thailand, according to Malaysian Wildlife. It is the national symbol of Malaysia.

In 2016, a Malayan tiger attacked and killed a zookeeper at the Palm Beach Zoo. An autopsy found that Stacey Konwiser, 38, died of a fractured spine, a lacerated jugular and other neck injuries suffered when she was attacked by the 12-year-old tiger named Hati.