A ZOOKEEPER was mauled to death by a rare white Bengal tigress after he made a “mistake” while feeding the beast.
Alexey Melnikov was working at Mariupol Zoo in Russian-occupied Ukraine when the big cat “attacked him and gnawed his head”.
East2WestA rare Bengal tigress Lucy mauled keeper Alexey Melnikov to death[/caption]
It is understood he mistakenly hadn’t moved her, and she was lurking in a wooden den when he went into her cage.
He was then attacked by the tigress, which pounced on him and mauled him to death.
The Zoo said that the big cat – named Lucy – was likely “defending her four cubs”.
Zoo director Savely Vashura said: “The white tigress has 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.”
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