Suicide by tiger: Man, 21, eaten alive in big cat enclosure after breaking into zoo at night
- Victim was found dead surrounded by three Siberian tigers
- Police have not ruled out suicide as a possible motive
By GRAHAM SMITH PUBLISHED: 12:52 GMT, 11 July 2012 | UPDATED: 19:14 GMT, 11 July 2012
A man was killed by tigers at Copenhagen Zoo today after he scaled a fence and crossed a moat to gain access to the predators' enclosure.The victim, who was 21, was savaged by three tigers after he broke into the zoo in the Danish capital in the early hours.
He was found dead surrounded by the Siberian tigers when staff arrived for work.
Grisly: Police investigate why a man broke into the tiger enclosure at Copenhagen Zoo last night. He was savaged by the three Siberian tigers who live there and was found dead by staff this morning
Tourists watch a tiger prowl around his enclosure at Copenhagen Zoo this morning. It is unclear whether this animal was involved in the man's death
It is unclear why the man, who has not yet been identified, entered the enclosure but police have not ruled out suicide as a possible motive.Superintendent Lars Borg revealed that a post-mortem examination has shown the man was bitten on the thigh, chest, face and throat.
He said: 'We received an emergency call at about 7.30am that a person had been found lying in the tiger pen and that three tigers were surrounding that person.'The tigers attacked him and killed him. It is likely that a bite to the throat was the primary reason for his death.'He has been in the water and the animals must have seen that and attacked him.'
Police said the victim was not Danish but that he held a Denmark resident's permit. His nationality is unknown.
Investigation: Police secure the entrance to the zoo. It is unclear why the man, who has not yet been identified, entered the enclosure but detectives have not ruled out suicide as a possible motive
Fearsome predators: Two tigers rest in their enclosure in Copenhagen Zoo in 2005
Detectives are now trawling through CCTV footage to try to exactly establish how the man accessed the enclosure.Steffen Straede, the zoo's chief executive, said psychologists have been called to talk to staff who found the body.He added that this is the first incident of its kind in the zoo's 152-year history and that he has no plans to review security.
He said: 'If a person really wants to get in there, we cannot prevent it from happening.'
