( 4UMF NEWS ) Man Mauled By Tiger:
An animal nut was mauled by a 400-pound tiger at the Bronx Zoo Friday after he leapt from the monorail ride into the animal’s den in a crazed suicide attempt.
David Villalobos, 25, of Mahopac, N.Y., jumped 17 feet from the popular Wild Asia Monorail about 3 p.m., officials said, and was mauled by Bachuta, an 11-year-old male Amur tiger.
“The tiger did nothing wrong,” Bronx Zoo Director Jim Breheny said at a press conference.
“Our emergency response staff immediately went to the site and used a CO2 fire extinguisher to move the tiger away from the person,” Breheny said in a statement earlier in the day.
“Once the tiger backed off, the man was instructed to roll under a hot wire to safety.”
His lung was punctured and leg mauled, officials said. Doctors were trying to save his leg, sources said.
Villalobos remained conscious and was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center in critical condition.
