A rare Malaysian tiger was shot and killed last week after an unauthorized member of a third-party zoo cleaning crew reached into his cage to either feed or try to pet the animal. The eight-year-old tiger, named Eko, was in his enclosure at Florida’s Naples Zoo when the man, 26-year-old River Rosenquist, reached in and was bitten on his arm.
Rosenquist phoned 911 to call for help on Wednesday night after the tiger failed to release his arm. His call began with, “Help me! I’m at Naples Zoo! I’m being attacked by a tiger please, please, please!”
A responding deputy from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office tried to get Eko to release the man’s arm, but when his efforts failed, he was forced to shoot the big cat, who retreated from the area. Eko was later found deceased. Jack Mulvena, president and CEO of Naples Zoo, watched video footage of what happened and had no criticism for the deputy who was forced to kill Eko, telling CNN:
“Their deputy tried to distract the tiger first, as you saw from the footage, and faced a very difficult decision — and we support that decision.”
Rosenquist may face charges – according to Mulvena, the man should not have been anywhere near Eko’s enclosure. He said, “Their job is very specific, and they’re not to be in any areas that they’re not supposed to be in.”
After Eko’s death, the zoo posted a statement about the tragic incident:
“It is a very sad day at Naples Zoo, we have lost our Malayan tiger, Eko. He was 8 years old and he came to Naples Zoo in December of 2019. He will be deeply missed and we sincerely appreciate the love and support of the community as we navigate this difficult time.
Naples Zoo will be closed today, December 30th. The decision to close today was made to allow officials to complete their investigation late into the evening. This decision was also made to allow the Zoo to begin its own internal investigation and to allow our staff to process what has occurred and to begin the painful healing process. A grief counselor will be available for staff beginning today. We will reopen at 9 a.m. tomorrow and we thank our community for their understanding and for the messages and words of encouragement and support that have been flowing into us.”
You can read more about Eko at this link to the Naples Zoo website.
He should be sued
What the hell was that guy thinking?!????
Poor tiger souldnt kill tiger I dont blame tiger in cage and never let kid touch tiger by cage parent fault should tell kid not touch triger cage and kids and peiople never never touch any animals have good day be safe
Also people should know zoo animals dangeruos
It’s always the animals that pay with their lives. There was no reason that endangered had to be killed because of one man’s stupidity.
This idiot man should be put in jail!!!The tiger did nothing!!!
That innocent tiger shouldn’t had loss his life . Because of a dumb ass person messing with him . So sick and tired of these animals getting killed for nothing they did wrong .
He should have been the one that should have been Shot!!! Not the poor Lion that was using it’s Natural Instinct!!!!
The man using poor judgment needs to face the repercussions of his Actions.
The deputy could have tried to shoot to scare the tiger with the noise or shoot where the tiger wouldn’t be killed. As for the asshole that caused the tiger’s death, he should be charged. I have no sympathy for something he caused for himself.
I totally agree with you. The deputy could have shot in the air to scare the tiger. And the guy is an absolute idiot for putting his hand in the cage.
I sincerely pray that they will prosecute the ignorant man who caused the death of this magnificent creature by his stupidity.
So why couldn’t they tranquilize the tiger???? Pretty much the same as shooting it!! What the hell is wrong with people and this idiot who reached into the cage got what he deserves. The tiger did not. Human’s always killing animals when they harm someone. Too bad they aren’t so fast to kill of humans who murder, abuse etc.
The CEO of the zoo supports an unauthorized asshole doing something he was not supposed to and the tiger suffers the ULTIMATE price for it? The CEO HAS TO GO! the tiger should’ve been tranquilized instead but f*ck%ing humans LOVE to kill first! The deputy needs to get his gun taken away and direct traffic instead!
Maybe the guy that reached in the cage should be shot and killed for being so stupid!
The tiger did not have to be killed. The deputy should have used his night stick to scare the tiger. And that idiot should have never put his hand in the cage.
can we get a petition for legal action to be taken against this dude. An endangered animal had to lose his life because of this guys pure stupidity. He needs to be charged and put in jail.
the animal is a wildlife outdoors nature hunts prey – wildlife and ignorant people , ignorant deputy police did not know anything , call a wildlife animal person or those who do wildlife for a living know what they are doing , not some hot head city town guru with a gun no training in the wildlife department . they both are murders and ungodly people. willfully ignorant , call the fire department for fires , and wildlife department agents people for wildlife animals could of easy just shoot meds and knocked the animal out asleep and would be alive today – people today are brain washed and dead !
Im sick and tired of hearing of poor wild animals getting killed for killing someone. They are WILD animals, not your pet. Humans need to start taking responsibility for their actions and stupidity. Stop killing the animals or let them go back home!
What the hell…kill ?? How about tranquilizer gun…this retard reached in …I’m not hapy about the way this was handled …that guy was wrong and Eko was just being a tiger for Christ sake ..see…ppl are wrong abuse of authority …
the goof that had no sense should have been shot. along with who ever made up this unbelievable reason to shoot animals for being animals. no animal wild or not should ever be in captivity.
I’m crying..it bothers me more than I thot..Eko is gone ..he was 8,, baby ..
Guys fault totally..this shud be investigated ..person who shot Eko shuud be fired.
Poor Eko had to die because if a stupid human! This human didn’t belong there and should get fined!!
Don’t know the full circumstances, but if it was after hours then the veterinarian was not there to tranquilize the animal. It has to be a vet, a police officer wouldn’t know the dosage or even have a tranquilizer gun. It says the officer tried to distract the tiger, how they don’t say. did he fire off a shot? I don’t know.
The guy should be prosecuted to the fullest extent. He crossed multiple barriers entering restricted area and caused the death of an endangered species. I hope he loses his hand/arm, gets severely infected and causes him severe pains and trauma as long as he lives.
The Tiger was MURDERED. We had no reason to save one more Stupid human, but we Had reason to save the Endangered animal who was doing Nothing more than laying in his Forced Captivity as the prisoner he was.
That jackass should be jailed, wish it was him who took that bullet
Both the man who stupidly put his arm in the animals’ cage and the idiot who SHOT the endangered animal should be FINED, GO TO JAIL and beaten by thugs to teach them a lesson. They both should be held accountable for this animal’s senseless death. This issue will be tracked!!!!
[…] 26-year-old man who stuck his arm into a tiger’s enclosure at Florida’s Naples Zoo in late December will not be facing any charges. River Rosenquist was […]