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.
It is deplorable that the man who put his arm in this tiger’s cage is not found guilty of harassment. The tiger is dead because of this man’s ignorance and there is no penalty for that, what is wrong with our laws???,
We need a law that would apply to reckless action that results in death of an animal, including by authorities. Similar to voluntary or involuntary manslaughter.
This is reprehensible! That moron’s stupidity cost that poor tiger his life.
It’s infuriating that he is not being punished for what he did. But what else is new, nobody’s being held to account for their actions these days!
They should make the idiot reimbursed the State for his negligence and the lion being euthanized. Surely they have signs posted in the zoo. Animals pay for these disrespectful people with their lives. Now that needs to be changed in the laws.
That is BULL!! Those so called LAWS need to be written again. The guy knew what he was doing he wanted the tiger to attack him. It wasn’t the tigers fault at all the guy was STUPID! Now because of him the tiger is dead and he is free to be stupid again and most likely will. He needs to pay something and put in counseling. To many people do horrible things to animals and get away with it or just a little slap. It will never stop unless people know THEY WILL PAY AND BE PUNISHED SEVERLY!!!!!
There was ….. NO …. reason to kill the animal .. they could of just put him out and that person should never work in a place like that again .. he is a careless waste .. he should be fined and the place in trouble for murdering such a beautiful creature .. This is how the system works easiest way out no matter the case … makes me sick ..they should all be dealt with and no one excused ..
Agree.
That wonderful animal with so much importance to the world lost his life because of the stupidity of a human. So unfortunate. Laws need to change because of behaviors like this.
Darn – don’t kill the lion, it’s not his fault. Reprimand and charge the stupid idiot who put his arm in the lion enclosure. What do people think they have those enclosures? Cleaning crew should have released him from his job, not showing any respect in the Florida Zoo. Law enforcement needs to start making these foolish idiots start taking responsibility for their carelessness.
Agree
OF COURSE NOT!!! WHO THE FUCK IS SURPRISED? STREET JUSTICE!! KICK THAT PRICK UP AND DOWN THE BOULEVARD!!
Vigilante justice is the ONLY kind against people who harm or do cruelty to animals. There will NEVER be adequate laws because stupid humans think only THEY matter. So let some vigilantes quietly, secretly and competently mete out justice to this moronic POS, preferably that results in his removal from the planet earth.
And that is how ALL abuse against animals should be handled.
This is ridiculous! His actions led to the death of a magnificent animal. He absolutely should be charged!
i can’t believe they killed this tiger because of a cleaning man’s fcking stupidity. this disgusts me
I wish the zoo would sue him in civil court for the wrongful death of the tiger. What an idiot!
Wow what a pathetic world we live in when an idiot causes the death of an innocent tiger and nothing happens to him. So sick and tired of our species and how we think we are above all even when we kill.
FUCKER SHOULD HAVE HAD HAS HIS DICK TORN OFF!!! 💪🇺🇸RENEE CARIGLIA
This is BULLSHIT! There was no need for this in the first place. I say for now on we stupid weed itself out and not killing an animal that is acting on instinct.
I am so angry that this reprehensible person is not to be punished. There are far too few laws and not high enough penalties for abusers of animals. This idiot needs to be punished as a lesson to others.
WHY NOT???
Oh no! Nobody should shoot that precious & magnificent Tiger! I’m heart-wrenching to see that Tiger had to be shot for no good reason. Oh my! Whoever shot Tiger was not a wise shooter. Big disappointment in that Tiger’s murderer for shooting the most beautiful Tiger!! Oh my Goodness!! Heart-wrenching…:'(
That’s NOT RIGHT!!! That innocent Tiger died because a Stupid Idiot put his arm in the Tigers cage!!!! He NEEDS to be PUNISHED to the FULLEST!!!!
And the animal suffers the consequences. This is no justice. Zoos should all be shut down anyway. Wild animals do not belong in captivity. Humans are a scourge on the animal world.
“If only I knew”. If the tiger knew he would lose his life because of the actions of an idiot, he should have given him a good bite; one he would never forget. Idiot.
That idiot should spend some time in jail and pay a huge fine for his ignorance. A beautiful, rare tiger is dead because of his stupidity!
It wasn’t the tiger’s fault- this moron should hold his claws by himself. The poor animal had to pay this failure with his life. A precious life lost- and the idiot wasn’t punished. Justice!!!!!
This is ludicrous that some stupid asshole put his arm in a tiger’s cage then was injured by the tiger, and the asshole was not charged with animal cruelty. Then, more stupidity, the cop or deputy killed this poor, innocent tiger for instinctively reacting to a violation of the tiger’s space. THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL THESE MORONIC PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE KILLED THIS BEAUTIFUL, INNOCENT TIGER. I BELIEVE THAT ALL ZOOS SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN, AND PEOPLE NOT BE ALLOWED TO CAGE ANY ANIMAL JUST TO PROFIT FROM THEM. THESE ARE WILD ANIMALS, AND SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO LIVE THEIR LIVES FREELY IN THE JUNGLE, OR TIGER SANCTUARY. STOP CAGING WILD, INNOCENT ANIMALS. LEAVE THEM ALONE THE SAME GOES FOR PEOPLE WHO MAKE THEIR DOGS BREED OVER AND OVER AGAIN JUST TO MAKE MONEY OFF OF THEM.