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.
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.
-
5 capitulating cartoons about the Democrat's shutdown surrenderCartoons Artists take on Democrat's folding, flag-waving, and more
-
How are these Epstein files so damaging to Trump?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As Republicans and Democrats release dueling tranches of Epstein-related documents, the White House finds itself caught in a mess partially of its own making
-
Margaret Atwood’s memoir, intergenerational trauma and the fight to make spousal rape a crime: Welcome to November booksThe Week Recommends This month's new releases include ‘Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts’ by Margaret Atwood, ‘Cursed Daughters’ by Oyinkan Braithwaite and 'Without Consent' by Sarah Weinman
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime ministerSpeed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
A private zoo run by Asia's richest family is facing criticism and investigationsUnder the radar The zoo is owned by Anant Ambani, the son of Asia's richest person
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
