Man mauled by tiger after he jumped into Bronx Zoo enclosure

The Tiger enclosure at the Bronx Zoo. / CBS News

Updated 11:21 p.m. ET

(CBS News) NEW YORK - A man has been hospitalized after he jumped into the tiger's den at the Bronx Zoo on Friday afternoon.

Bronx Zoo director Jim Breheny confirmed to CBS News in a statement that a passenger on the Bronx Zoo's Wild Asia Monorail was injured after he jumped out of the car he was riding in and hopped the tiger exhibit's perimeter fence around 3 p.m.

A New York City Fire Department spokesperson said the man sustained injuries, including his right foot, left leg and back. The wounds are consistent with being bit or mauled. Police had earlier said the man lost a leg in the attack, The Associated Press reported.

The victim has also suffered a punctured lung and a dislocated shoulder, according to WCBS-TV.

Three Malayan tiger cubs look as if they are posing for the photo at the Tiger Mountain exhibit at the Bronx Zoo in New York on Sept. 20, 2012.

/ AP Photo/WCS, Julie Larsen Maher

The FDNY spokesperson said emergency crews received a call around 3:20 p.m. regarding a report that a male was injured inside the tiger enclosure. The victim was transported to Jacobi Medical Center and in critical condition, WCBS-TV had earlier reported; a representative from the hospital told CBS News late Friday night that the victim is now in stable condition.

One woman who witnessed the attack told 1010 WINS that passengers on the monorail told the driver to stop because someone had jumped off the tram.

"Witnesses said he jumped off the monorail into the tiger enclosure, which is open -- it's outside and they stopped the train. Security was called, they shut down the monorail and they called out all the security to come look, and I did hear them saying there's definitely something happening in the tiger enclosure," the witness said.

NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said to CBS radio station 1010 WINS in New York that the man jumped from an area near the monorail over two fences, including an electrified one, in one bound to get into the enclosure. He added it was an apparent suicide attempt.

Breheny added that the zoo's emergency response staff immediately responded and used a CO2 fire extinguisher to get the tiger away from the victim.

"Once the tiger backed off, the man was instructed to roll under a hot wire to safety. The keepers were able to call the tiger into its off exhibit holding area and safely secured the animal," he said.

The keepers called the tiger into the exhibit holding area and were able to control the animal. The victim was conscious and talking when he was taken to the hospital.

"If not for the quick response by our staff and their ability to perform well in emergency situations, the outcome would have been very different," Breheny said.

[EdB_56]

One thing about this story is: the tiger is cared for in a very respectful way. Or else, the tiger would've killed the intruder immediately.

[Bojax39]

I read the tiger will not be euthanized because this Darwin Award winner jumped into his habitat. Kudos to the zoo director for showing common sense.

Also read the jumper's family doesn't want any more media coverage about his condition. But that's okay. We already know his condition is "moron".

[jackpenn]

Gee......the tiger was acting like a normal animal of the wild, and this idiot wanted to play with the kitty and got ruffed up. I sure hope this goofball gets to spend some time in a cage, because he is much more dangerous then this tiger is to society. If someone would do something this crazy, I can't imagine what he will be up to next. Lock him up...........NOW!

[js555554]

You can't fix stupid

[RetiredArmy_Nurse]

I was glad to read that the zoo officials said the tiger did nothing wrong, so he will not be euthanized. The man was the culprit in his own injuries and needs extensive psychiatric evaluation. I remember many years ago, stationed in the deep south, I read an account of school kids going by a fenced yard with a dog on a chain and mercilessly tormenting the dog every day. One day, the dog broke out of his chain, lept the fence, and gave the kids what they deserved. The result? The dog was euthanized. I found it horrifying that an innocent animal, that had been tormented, was then executed for defending himself.

[arkajun-2009]

Death wish maybe, but I don't see a suicide attempt. Most suicides planned, with minimal pain and suffering.

I hope the Tiger gets a pass. Would hate to see the Tiger chastised by the stupidity of man.

[hypnotoad72]

There are more effective methods of the activity known as "committing suicide"...

[Think3Times]

So many apathetic, even hateful comments aimed at suicide.. Think about this.. how bad would you need to feel about yourself, life, and world, to start to even "Think" about suicide? Don't give me that "I would NEVER commit suicide" or "Suicide is the ultimate sin" BS because obviously you have never been to rock bottom. I've been there before, I've felt before that all of my hard work added up to a total waste of effort many many times, and as those experiences pile up in one's life people start to question if it's even worth it to keep trying anymore.
You also find out who your true friends are, because true friends don't suddenly write you off because you have entertained suicidal thoughts.
Anyone that shuts the door on friendship because you are at rock bottom was never a friend to begin with.

I managed to climb out of that hole, but at the cost of many people that were my friends, and called me their friend. But I now know that I do have a handful of real friends, and without them, I might have succeeded.

I'm willing to wager that some hateful person or people will reply to this and try to once again push me in that direction with insults, but THOSE are the people that really don't matter to me anymore.

[Think3Times]

Actually newster thats part of what helped me climb out of that hole, someone who cared enough and was smart enough made me realize that nobody knows if there is an afterlife, or if it would be better or worse than this life we now know. They said you don't know if you have friends waiting for you when you die, you don't know if you will be happier, but you have a friend here right now talking to you and struggling through life with you. Can you let go of this real example to take that risk?

That was my game changer.

[angelofurnightmare]

I've been through more hell in life than most will ever know. I have medical problems that have been painful and are life long...I will always live in pain. I have lost a child...I have lost friends and family. I won't go on and on about the pain in my life but I will say I have lost people to suicide and frankly its the cowards way out. Take sin out of the picture and just think of those you are leaving behind to suffer an question why? So yes I believe beside a mental illness that leaves you unable to process the consequences of your actions that suicide is unacceptable (and in the case of mental illness hopefully you have someone who sees the signs)

[mjvwsr]

Why was he saved. Could have saved a day of tiger food.

[hypnotoad72]

How very American of you to say that...

But then, in one of my comments, I forgot to use the sarcasm tag as well...

It's a shame our country has come down to this, however...

[Bojax39]

by hypnotoad72: "It's a shame our country has come down to this, however..."

Come down to what? Refusal to sympathize with stupidity?

[DetroitMark]

What is it with these stories about suicide by Tiger?! There was something just a month ago where some nut walked into a tiger pen and basically just lied down and allowed the tigers to eat him to death.

CREEPY!