White Bengal tiger mauls zookeeper to death after he mistakenly enters its cage at feeding time
A zookeeper has been mauled to death by a rare female white Bengal tiger after he mistakenly entered the big cat’s cage during its feeding time.
Alexey Melnikov died instantly at Mariupol Zoo in Russian-occupied Ukraine after the tigress – named Lucy – ‘attacked him and gnawed his head’.
Fellow zoo employee, Galina Zamarakhina, who narrowly escaped the beast, witnessed the horrific attack.
She explained that Alexey was under the impression that he had moved the tigress to another cage before entering the enclosure.
But it appears he had in fact not moved the big cat, and was shocked to encounter Lucy lurking in a wooden den when he entered the cage.
‘I heard a scream,’ Galina recalled.
‘I somehow managed to close the cage in time, because she [the tigress] was looking at me.
‘I don’t know how I managed to shut it’, she added.
Zookeeper Alexey Melnikov (pictured) has been mauled to death by a rare Bengal tigress at zoo in Russian-occupied Ukraine
The tigress – named Lucy – is said to have gnawed Alexey’s head after he mistakenly entered her cage during her feeding time
The blood incident took place at Mariupol zoo
Zoo director Savely Vashura explained that the tigress was likely ‘defending’ her four cubs.
‘She came out from behind, and bam – the man was gone.
‘Maybe he got distracted, maybe something else happened – he was only human.’
He said: ‘Why it happened, I don’t know….
‘He knew the animals, he loved them.’
The keeper’s blood was seen in the cage, as were his bloodstained clothes.
The Russian Investigative Committee has launched a criminal probe into the man’s death.
A spokesman said: ‘A white tiger attacked an employee of the Mariupol Zoo.
The zoo says the trigress was likely defending her cubs when the violent attack happened
Fellow zookeper Galina Zamarakhina narrowly escaped the beast
‘According to preliminary data, the animal attacked the employee when he entered the enclosure to feed it.
‘The man died from the injuries he received.’
Alexey had previously appeared on Russian television saying he had come to work in Mariupol from Crimea.
‘I love animals very much – I can’t live without them’, he said.
‘I clean, feed the predators. Mostly I work with predators.
‘I move them [from one cage to another], keeping things in order.’
The bloody incident comes several months after a zoo employee in Romania was killed by a tiger after entering its cage and failing to follow safety protocols.
The 52-year-old zookeeper was reportedly bitten on the head by the animal at Pitesti Zoo on December 9 last year.
While bringing food to the big cat, the caretaker allegedly ignored health and safety rules which require tigers to be completely separated from the access area.
The zookeeper forgot to close the safety door, according to reports, and the animal was able to launch itself at the man, mauling him over several minutes.
Emergency services quickly arrived at the scene and the man was rushed to hospital. Tragically, he could not be saved.
