The youth who had been killed by a white tiger at the New Delhi zoo had jumped into the enclosure, the zoo authorities claimed on Tuesday.
Speaking to ANI, National Zoological Park spokesman Riyaz Ahmed Khan said, "He did not fall in, he jumped into the tiger's enclosure. Outside the enclosure, there is a railing, followed by thick shrubbery followed by yet another wall inside."
Khan also claimed that the youth jumped in despite repeated warnings by a nearby guard. "The youth went in despite the guard telling him not to. The guard removed him three times from around the enclosure but then got distracted by other visitors and the youth jumped in."
"We immediately informed the police as soon as we found out about the incident. We also called an ambulance. Prima facie it appears that the tiger had snapped the youth's neck immediately. The police is now investigating the case," added Khan.
Khan also could not shed any light on why the youth jumped in. "We don't know why he did it - he could be drunk, on drugs or perhaps wished to commit suicide," he said.
Speaking about the tiger, Khan said that the tiger was not aggressive due to being born and raised in captivity. "The tiger's name is Vijay and is a seven year old male. He was born and raised in the zoo," he said.
Earlier in the day, the youth had been mauled to death by the tiger inside its enclosure.
