New Delhi Zoo's Tiger Kills Visitor Who Climbed Into Enclosure

NEW DELHI -- A white tiger killed a young man who climbed over a fence at the New Delhi zoo and jumped into the animal's enclosure Tuesday, authorities said. Despite repeated warnings that he shouldn't get too close to the outdoor enclosure, the man eventually climbed over a knee-high fence, through some small hedges, then jumped down 18 feet into a protective moat, National Zoological Park spokesman Riyaz Ahmed Khan said.

The male tiger, which lives on a grassy tree-filled island, grabbed the man from the moat. Footage broadcast on NDTV showed the tiger carrying the man around the island. Authorities eventually frightened the tiger into a small cage inside the enclosure. "The tiger was just being a tiger," said Belinda Wright, who has spent years working to protect India's dwindling numbers of wild tigers. "An unusual object fell into his domain."

DELHI POLICE VIA AFP - GETTY IMAGES

A white tiger confronts an Indian man inside its enclosure at the New Delhi zoo on Tuesday. The tiger killed the young man after he climbed over a fence at the New Delhi zoo and jumped into the animal's enclosure Tuesday, a spokesman said.