Zoo workers carry the body of a school student who was mauled to death by a white tiger at the National Zoological Park in New Delhi September 23, 2014 (Reuters / Anindito Mukherjee)
Zoo workers carry the body of a school student who was mauled to death by a white tiger at the National Zoological Park in New Delhi September 23, 2014 (Reuters / Anindito Mukherjee)

An Indian school student has been attacked and killed by a white tiger at a New Delhi zoo. The young man jumped over security barriers before falling over five meters into the tigers’ enclosure, where he was mauled to death.

The incident happened just after 1 pm local time Tuesday, when the youngster, identified as Maqsood, fell or jumped into the enclosure. He was immediately confronted by the animal. Onlookers tried to throw stones at the tiger to distract it, but to no avail.

“After he fell down, the white tiger which was further inside the enclosure came towards Maqsood. As the tiger came closer, he clasped his hands and seemed to be praying. The tiger watched Maqsood closely for almost 15 minutes,” an onlooker told the Indian Express.

After the standoff, the big cat swiped at him before crushing his neck with a single bite.

“We are all in a complete state of shock,” said Amitabh Agnihotri, the director of the city’s National Zoological Park.

“The tiger grabbed the youth and killed him. I am not clear whether the youth jumped into the cage or he slipped accidentally.”

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