Terrible moment The 23-year-old zoo keeper is mauled by a tiger after sticking his arm through the fence to pet it during feeding time – before dying hours later of a heart attack
- WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES
- A keeper at a private zoo was mauled by a tiger after sticking an arm through a fence
- The footage shows the zookeeper screaming while the jaws hold his hand
- José de Jesús, 23, later died of a suspected heart attack, doctors said
A keeper at a private zoo has died after being mauled by a tiger after petting it during feeding time.
23-year-old José de Jesús was bitten on his right hand by the Bengal tiger caged in Peribán, Michoacán in western Mexico, on Monday afternoon before dying hours later of a suspected heart attack, doctors said.
Horrifying footage shows the big cat’s keeper telling her to come over to him as he stands behind a chain link fence with his hand outstretched.
But when he begins to stroke the tiger’s neck, the animal suddenly sinks its teeth into his hand and pulls him to the fence.
De Jesus screams in agony as the tiger’s fiercely powerful jaws tear at his hand, which is tightly gripped around him.
Horrifying footage shows the zoo keeper behind a chain link fence, hand outstretched, telling the big cat to come over to him. But when he starts stroking the tiger’s neck, the tiger suddenly sinks its teeth into his hand and pulls him towards the fence
The 23-year-old died hours after being mauled by a Bengal tiger in Mexico
A second video shows a huge pool of blood on the ground after the incident
A second gruesome video shows a huge pool of blood on the ground after the guard was taken away by ambulance.
Rescuers rushed De Jesus to the hospital, but he refused to allow medics to amputate his battered hand, sources say.
As a diabetic, his health deteriorated until he suffered a massive heart attack and died, doctors said.
The grim video footage was reportedly released by the animals’ owner, who kept them at a private zoo.
The tiger’s owner reportedly told local media that he had paid the man’s medical bills, adding that he had all the necessary permits to own the tiger.
Tiger keepers in Mexico require a permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) to keep the animals.
It has been reported that the owner also apparently keeps a lion and a crocodile in the same place.