The 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 working with a third-party cleaning crew when he put his arm into an enclosure where Eko, a rare Malaysian tiger, was being held.
The eight-year-old tiger grabbed hold of Rosenquist’s arm and the man suffered severe injuries. Eko was shot and killed by a deputy who was called out to the scene.
Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, expressed disappointment that Rosenquist won’t be held accountable for his actions, saying in a statement:
“I am frustrated and even angered that there is no existing criminal law that applies in this tragic situation that resulted in the untimely death of a rare and endangered tiger.”
On February 4, the sheriff’s office said:
We understand that so many people were expecting and even demanding criminal charges be filed against Mr. Rosenquist. Our enforcement authority and our nation’s justice system operate within laws set forth by our legislative bodies. When incidents occur that no one ever imagined or could anticipate happening and are not governed or covered by law, the course of action is to work with the applicable legislative bodies that can enact such law. That is what we are doing.
Find the original story about this tragic situation here.
