A Collier County, FL Deputy was forced to fatally shoot an endangered Malayan Tiger at a Zoo in Naples, FL Wednesday evening.
Malayan tigers have been categorized as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. Fewer than 200 mature individuals remain in the wild, compared to the over 3,000 animals in the 1950s, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
For the past two decades, Naples zoo has funded saving wild tigers. In a statement announcing Eko's arrival to the zoo last February, the zoo called Eko “a great ambassador for his species”. It added: “When guests see him, we hope they fall in love and want to learn how they can do their part to save his cousins in the wild.”
–TheGuardian
The Shariff should have shot the stupid SOB who entered the tiger’s enclosure. But then why would that enclosure not be locked so no one could get in. I hope the tiger got in a few licks in, on the dummy, before his demise.
I’m sure there would have been a safer way to diffuse the situation than destroy the animal! Just a sad situation all around.