Footage Documents Eko the Tiger's Life at Naples Zoo (File)
An eight-year-old Malayan tiger named Eko at Florida’s Naples Zoo was fatally shot after attacking a man on December 29, according to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.
The man, who was a member of “a third-party cleaning service contracted by the zoo," entered an unauthorized area near Eko’s enclosure, officials said. The man put his arm through the fencing and was petting or feeding Eko when the tiger “grabbed the man’s arm and pulled it into the enclosure,” according to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.
A sheriff’s deputy shot Eko after trying to force it to release the man’s arm by kicking the enclosure. Eko was sedated and died after he “retreated to the back of the enclosure,” officials reported.
The man was hospitalized with serious injuries, reports said.
Videos released by the Naples Zoo between April 30, 2020, and February 20, 2021, shows Eko enjoying treats and enrichment in his habitat. Credit: Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens via Storyful
