White tiger mauls Japanese zookeeper to death
Authorities to investigate how rare big cat was left alone in enclosure with 40-year-old Akira Furusho
A Japanese zookeeper has been fatally mauled by a rare white tiger after he entered the enclosure with the animal.
Colleagues spotted Akira Furusho, 40, collapsed and bleeding from the throat inside the tiger enclosure at Hirakawa Zoological Park, in the south of the country, on Monday evening after the zoo had closed to the public.
He had been mauled by five-year-old male Riku, one of four white tigers housed at the zoo. White tigers - Bengal tigers with a rare gene which makes their coat naturally white - are exclusively found in captivity, where they are popular with visitors and private owners.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The animal was sedated with a tranquiliser dart and Furusho was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The attack occurred around the time Furusho would normally have been cleaning the tiger enclosure, according to Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun.
However, the exact circumstances leading to his death remain unclear, as zoo protocol mandates that tigers be moved to a separate holding area before staff are allowed inside the enclosure.
Alongside the police investigation into the death, “labour authorities interviewed some workers to see if the zoo had possibly violated a law on safety at work”, reports The Japan Times.
“For some reason, Furusho and the tiger were not separated,” Akinori Ishido, director of the zoo, told reporters today. “We cannot imagine what happened. It’s extremely regrettable to lose staff in this way.”
Ishido said the family of the deceased keeper had expressed their wish for Riku to remain at the zoo.
The New York Times reports that the animal “is nearly six feet long and weighs about 375 pounds - as much as some sumo wrestlers”.
The park opened as normal today, although the tiger enclosure was sealed off from visitors, pending a police inspection of the site.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The new JFK, RFK and MLK files: what to expect
The Explainer Will the release of documents on the assassinations that 'shattered the 60s' satisfy the conspiracy theorists?
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The fall of WH Smith
In the Spotlight A presence on Britain's high streets for over 200 years, the retailer may soon disappear
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Beyond butter: quirky spreads to jazz up your toast
The Week Recommends From coffee paste to black sesame praliné, these tasty toppings are shaking up the spreads market
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff Published
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK Published
-
Romania's election rerun
The Explainer Shock result of presidential election has been annulled following allegations of Russian interference
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Russia's shadow war in Europe
Talking Point Steering clear of open conflict, Moscow is slowly ratcheting up the pressure on Nato rivals to see what it can get away with.
By The Week UK Published
-
Cutting cables: the war being waged under the sea
In the Spotlight Two undersea cables were cut in the Baltic sea, sparking concern for the global network
By The Week UK Published
-
The nuclear threat: is Vladimir Putin bluffing?
Talking Point Kremlin's newest ballistic missile has some worried for Nato nations
By The Week UK Published
-
Russia vows retaliation for Ukrainian missile strikes
Speed Read Ukraine's forces have been using U.S.-supplied, long-range ATCMS missiles to hit Russia
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published