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Two tigers killed after attack on worker in zoo

By Wang Jingqiong (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-16 08:17

Two Siberian tigers shot after attacking a man in a zoo died over the weekend.

The zoo worker was cleaning snow outside the cages in a zoo in Shenyang, Liaoning province, on Friday when he was attacked.

He remains in a coma but in stable condition in hospital.

The cause of the attack remains unclear and the zoo has been closed since Saturday for investigation by local security supervision department, Shenyang Evening News reported yesterday.

Around 1:15 pm on Friday, 51-year-old Yang Jingwei, who operated electric doors at the zoo, was removing snow from passageways when the two tigers pounced.

Hearing Yang's voice, other zoo workers arrived and found him lying badly hurt and bleeding, with the two tigers still nearby. The workers tried to distract the tigers by turning on car sirens and firing guns, but to no avail.

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When police arrived they shot the two tigers and saved Yang.

Yang was in a deep coma and had lost more than three liters of blood. His face and neck were badly injured, he had several fractures in his body, and his arms and legs were covered in wounds.

The two tigers died over the weekend.

According to the Wild Animal Protection Station of Shenyang, shooting the tigers to save people was appropriate as people come first under such conditions.

The zoo, built in Qipan mountain, includes two viewing areas - the walking area and wildlife area. Animals in the wildlife area include Siberian tigers, black bears, wolves and camels. Electric doors separate the animals.