Tiger mauls man at New Zealand zoo

A man with a history of mental illness suffered serious injuries today when he was mauled by a tiger at New Zealand’s Wellington Zoo.

The 29-year-old man had climbed over the high wire fence surrounding the tiger cage after standing in front of the enclosure for some time.

Police inspector Marty Grenfell said the victim, who had a history of psychiatric illness, was in a critical condition and was undergoing surgery.

Zoo staff used high pressure hoses to drive the 265lbs cat away from the injured man, who was rushed to hospital with serious puncture wounds to his head, neck and back.

The zoo was immediately closed to the public for the rest of the day, and two members of staff were treated for shock.

“I looked in, saw the body, saw the blood, saw the tiger standing over the man who had blood on his face,” said curator Martin Turner.

The mauling was the first such attack in the zoo’s 100 year history.