Leipzig, Germany, May 18, (dpa/GNA) – German police shot dead a tiger that escaped from a private facility, near the eastern city of Leipzig, with a 73-year-old man seriously injured in the incident, authorities said on Sunday.
Police said the man was inside the enclosure, when the animal broke free in Schkeuditz, on the outskirts of Leipzig. He was described as a volunteer authorized to be on the premises, and was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
The tiger escaped at around 1 pm (1100 GMT), police said. “The tiger left its enclosure. It was then found by police officers near a garden area,” a police spokeswoman said. The animal was then shot dead at the scene to eliminate any danger to the public.
A large police operation was launched at the scene, with some officers carrying heavy weapons. Because the animal was a fully grown tiger, long guns were used, the spokeswoman said. Police confirmed that no other animals had escaped.
A drone search was planned to verify the site was fully secure, police said. A tiger trainer has kept eight big cats at the industrial site in Schkeuditz. The owner did not respond to a request for comment from dpa. According to media reports, the trainer had faced repeated allegations in the past regarding her handling of tigers.
District Mayor, Thomas Druskat, told local media that “the enclosure must go,” adding that it was “unthinkable” what could have happened had others been harmed. He called for the animals to be relocated to more appropriate facilities.
Residents near the enclosure expressed shock and concern after the escape. Stefanie Kästner, who keeps a horse at a riding stable opposite the site, said she found the incident “terrible and worrying,” questioning whether the location was suitable for keeping big cats.
Another local resident, a self-described former acquaintance of the animal keeper and “tiger fan,” said the animals were not kept in appropriate conditions. He claimed the enclosure was too small and said other trainers had since relocated their tigers to zoos or wildlife parks.
Police said they are investigating how the animal was able to break free. It is not yet clear whether criminal proceedings will follow.
GNA