Tiger Attack (Photo : DigiFunTM/YouTube)
Chinese netizens are divided over the mauling by a tiger at the Younger Zoo in Ningbo City of a man who climbed the walls and ended in the animal’s enclosure. Zhang, the man who refused to pay the 130 yuan entrance fee, was mauled to death by three tigers.
Some netizens say they felt bad for the tiger, the zoo and the man’s family who witnessed him being mauled to death by the three tigers after he was cornered. However, a relative of Zhang blamed the zoo for mismanagement, China Daily reported.
Relatives Blame Zoo
The kin of Zhang point to gaps in supervising the zoo’s fences which tempted the father of two not to pay the entrance fee and instead jump over the fence, according to The Sun. One relative said, “The zoo should not give people the opportunity to climb over.”
When Zhang was cornered by the tiger, one tiger clenched its jaws around the man’s neck and head. Even if the zoo staff lit firecrackers, the tiger refused to let go and retreat. Zhang later died in a hospital.
Netizens Take Tiger’s Side
Many netizens blamed Zhang for entering the tigers’ lair. One netizen asked, “The tiger killed the man. Then, the cop shot the tiger. What’s wrong with the tiger?” AOL quoted. Daniel Thorne added in a tweet, “if you’re stupid enough to get in with them, why kill the tiger?”
Despite the popular sentiment against Zhang, zoo officials believe it was right to apply lethal force on one of the tigers, according to BBC. Following the incident, the zoo officials had the place evacuated on Sunday to check how Zhang managed to enter the enclosure since it is separated by a moat and a stone wall. As of Monday, the zoo remained close to visitors.
