- Title: SINGAPORE: Tigers maul man to death in Zoo
- Date: 13th November 2008
- Summary: DANGER SIGN VARIOUS OF POLICE LINE OUTSIDE WHITE TIGER EXHIBIT POLICE INVESTIGATORS ON SCENE VARIOUS OF POLICE VEHICLE ARRIVING TO BACK OF EXHIBIT POLICE INVESTIGATING SCENE POLICE LEAVING WITH BAGS OF EVIDENCE VARIOUS OF TOURISTS IN TIGER EXHIBIT VARIOUS OF WHITE TIGER POSTER
- Embargoed: 28th November 2008 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Singapore
- Country: Singapore
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
- Reuters ID: LVA82UHAP9W7MFW5F9CM867U2CXV
- Story Text: Three white tigers mauled a Malaysian to death in Singapore's zoo on Thursday (November 13) after the man jumped into their enclosure, a zoo official said.
Nordin Bin Montong, 32, a Malaysian working as a cleaner at the zoo, leapt into the moat of the white tiger exhibit and was attacked, said Biswajit Guha, assistant director of zoology at the Singapore Zoo.
The noise from the attack caught the attention of zookeepers nearby and they eventually managed to distract the tigers and rescue Nordin.
Zoo officials said that Nordin was seen behaving in an agitated manner before he fell into the moat. Terrified visitors near the section watched the vicious attack in horror and screamed.
"Police are still investigating it, we are not able to assert what exactly happened, but prior to the incident the keepers had actually noticed the contract worker behaving a bit erratically. He was throwing things around, as he was walking out of the zoo he was passing comments like, 'good-bye, you won't see me again.' He later cycled back in and about five minutes later, the alarm went off," said Guha.
According to conservation group WWF, there are about 4,000 tigers left in the world and they are considered an endangered species.
White tigers are even rarer because they suffer from a genetic condition that strips their fur of the orange pigment, leaving the animal with snow white fur, black stripes and blue eyes. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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