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Rare White Tiger Mauls Zookeeper To Death In Enclosure In Japan

Rare White Tiger Mauls Zookeeper To Death In Enclosure In Japan

White tigers now live exclusively in captivity

Jake Massey

Jake Massey

A zookeeper has died after being attacked by a white tiger late on Monday.

Named as 40-year-old Akira Furusho, the zookeeper was found bleeding from the neck inside the white tiger enclosure at Hirakawa Zoological Park in the southern city of Kagoshima, Japan.

It is reported that officials believe he was mauled by one of the four tigers, which was sedated with a tranquilliser before emergency services arrived at the scene.

After being found bleeding, Mr Furusho was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

White tigers at a zoo in Germany.
PA

At this stage, the fate of the sedated white tiger remains unclear, but police have launched an investigation into how the zoo keeps its tigers, according to Kyodo news agency.

White tigers are a rare variant of the orange Bengal sub-species but now live exclusively in captivity, with the last known wild white tiger shot in 1958. The tigers are interbred in order to ensure their striking white coat is passed on, however, many have health issues such as bodily deformities and poor eyesight.

Last October, a zoo caretaker was mauled to death by white tiger cubs in Bannerghatta Biological Park, near Bangalore, India, while attempting to usher them into their night time enclosure.

PA

In September 2014, a man was killed by a white tiger at Delhi Zoo, India. It was reported that the man was seen leaning over the low railings, with footage later emerging of the man cowering in front of the tiger and being dragged around the enclosure.

Unsurprisingly, killings by more common types of tiger occur more frequently due to their greater numbers. In March, a zookeeper was eaten alive in China by a tiger he had raised as a cub.

Just last year, a zookeeper was killed by a tiger at Hamerton Zoo Park, Cambridgeshire, UK. Rosa King, 33, was said to have loved her job, with the zoo describing her death as a tragic freak accident.

Peter Davis, who was at the zoo at the time, told BBC Radio 5 Live: "One of the girls, we just heard her scream. And one of the girls shouted 'run'. So a few of us ran into one of the zookeepers' small rooms by the closure.

"As we came out, we were sort of ushered further away, but we were still looking at what was going on, and you could obviously see the keepers all distressed, not really knowing what to do, heads in their hands.

"A couple of them were throwing meat over the enclosure to try and entice the tiger away, but it was going on probably for 10 to 15 minutes."

Wildlife expert Steve Backshall said the solitary nature of tigers could affect their behaviour in captivity.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: "In the wild, they'll have enormous home ranges and rarely come into contact with other tigers.

"And in captivity, quite often they'll be kept in relatively small enclosures with other tigers, and there's no doubt that could cause artificial stresses within those enclosed populations.

"A wild tiger could range over 1500 sq miles (3,885 sq km) - obviously you could never have a zoo that size."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: World News, Animals, Japan