E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSOfficials from the Bronx Zoo are revealing new details about the attack of a 25-year-old man, who apparently jumped into the tiger exhibit this week.
Updated at 1 a.m. ET: NEW YORK -- A man jumped out of the Bronx Zoo's monorail into the tiger exhibit Friday afternoon, where he was badly mauled by one of the big cats before zoo employees rescued him using fire extinguishers, zoo officials said.
Authorities identified the jumper as David Villalobos. The 25-year-old suffered "various bites or puncture wounds on his arms and legs and also the top of his shoulder on his back," Bronx Zoo Director Jim Breheny said.
The tiger could have killed the intruder in an instant, Breheny said, but zoo workers were able to rescue him.
Once the tiger backed away, the man was instructed to roll under a hot wire to safety. The keepers then called the tiger into its exhibit holding area and secured him there, Breheny said.
It appears the man jumped approximately 20 feet into the den, police said. Before rescuers could reach the man to help him, they first had to get the tiger into a cage, authorities said.
View latest developments on NBCNewYork.com
Zoo employees contained the tiger in a cage as EMTs rushed to the scene and treated the man, officials said.
Villalobos was taken to Jacobi Hospital in critical condition. The tiger "did nothing wrong" Breheny said, and will not be put down.
Authorities offered no motivation as to why Villalobos took the leap into the tiger cage. His Facebook page lists "Mother Earth" as his religion and features many photos of lions, tigers and other wildlife. A former coworker at Bond New York, the real estate firm where Villalobos worked until a few months ago, said he was a "good guy."
Also on NBCNewYork.com: Suspect sought in anti-gay razor attack
Earlier this month, Amur tiger triplets debuted at the Bronx Zoo, born to mother Katharina and father Sasha.
Zoo animal maulings, while rare, have occurred before, and with deadly consequences.
A man was killed and two others injured on Christmas 2007 at the San Francisco Zoo, when a 300-pound tiger named Tatiana escaped its cage.
Live video: View latest from tiger attack at the Bronx zoo
In 1985, a zookeeper, Robin Silverman, 24, was killed when she was attacked by two Siberian tigers at the Bronx Zoo while trying to clean their cage.
An 11-year-old boy was killed in 1987 by a polar bear at the Prospect Park Zoo after climbing into its enclosure when the zoo was closed.
Leave a Comment:
He lost his foot in the tiger den? I hate it when that happens.
Almost a Darwin Award. Almost.
Bet he don´t do that no more.
I love how they call it a tragedy- It's not a tragedy when you jump in the cage. It's poetic Justic justice.
Absolutley!! Im glad they didnt have to kill the tiger to get to the morron!! They usually do, and a beautiful animal loses its life for the stupid human!! 1 YEAY!vote for the tiger!!!
Natural selection at it's best!
Damn dude, that was some b a d a z z weed!
He, wanted to see if Obama-care really works !
Kellie....
PRICELESS!
Survival of the footest...
@Kellie: And it did! Proof of it is he's getting medical treatment for a pre-existing condition: stupidity!
I don't know why when it comes to delicacies feet have such bad reputation. If you know what cuts are the best and how to cook them they're simply delicious. They're even better after they've been sweating inside leather shoes.
Suicide by Tiger? The theme to "Footloose" just popped into my head, now it will take all day to shake it.
A perfect example of "Stand Your Ground", it's obvious that this tiger was at home, minding his own business when this... intruder invaded his space, his HOME, this tiger did what every other tiger would have done if threatened by a dumbass human (because a gazelle would know better), I call this a classic case of self-defense... and I'm pretty sure this tiger felt threatened, if not hungry because it happened at 3:30PM close to feeding time, and tigers do not wear watches, so he (the tiger) proceeded to protect his home and his family. Mayor Bloomberg... do not persecute this tiger, he has suffered enough!
I hope the tiger doesn't suffer for this idiot's actions.
Olias....do they go well with chianti and fava beans?
A tiger walks into the lost and found department- I would like to return a foot.
One foot man- I was wondering where I lost that.
If someone voluntarily does this they should just film it and post it on youtube. Use the revenue to improve the tiger enclosure.
Do they they have a Stand Your Ground law in NY? I hope the tiger won't be charged. The jumper doesn't have a leg to stand on if he sues. Poor Tiger can't even get a 24 oz soda to wash the bad taste out of it's mouth.
MTpolitico... not true... he only has one leg to stand on now...
"It's just a flesh wound."
"All right, we'll call it a draw."
Someone said they heard the Tiger.... Burp.
Very soon this mans foot will be coming out of the tigers a$$
SanAndresMan
Nope. It is called emergency room service: Where the law states that NO ONE can be turned away with a life threatening condition. So who is the one with 'stupidity"?
But that truth totally contradicts your irrational thought patterns, right? silly lib, lies are for, oh wait, for libs....
Please, please tell us this cretin has not polluted the gene pool already.
@Mrkwildcat: chill out, it was just perhaps a poor attempt at humor. Jeez!
Improve the tiger enclosure? You can not make something 100% idiot-proof. There are waaaay too many idiots out there now. I'm just glad the tiger wasn't killed for this particular idiot's actions.
Kellie,
Man, you hit the lib nerve hard! bwahahaha, and as usual, they have collapsed your post because it insults their great leader. And of course, the MOD believes in free speech only for Libs....
now count down to see how fast they collapse this post.1,2,3....
SanAndresMan
chill out? Really? now that your own offensive comment has been thrown back in your face, you say chill out? Really?
OMG!! I LOLd at some of the comments here!! There are some funny folks out there. MTpolitico and 82AllAmericans, he still has two legs to stand on, but alas...only one foot.
Look at the Reich Wing party, so desperate, when someone makes a subtle comment about Emergency Room they go all BAT CHIT Crazy..... Give it a rest Neo Cons, Nobody here buying your day old Bread.
Robme/Lyin Ryan will kill your Grandparents, Parents, and Children, Vote straight Democrat in 2012
This wasn't a "tragedy" - it was stupidity. He got what he deserved. I hope he's charged with a criminal offense and the prosecutors and judges don't fall into that teary-eyed he's-suffered-enough-already stuff. Idiots like this need to learn that when they do something this stupid it'll cost them an arm and a foot.
Probably gave the tiger case of athletes mouth.
He'll probably sue the zoo, but he doesn't have a leg to stand on.
They shouldn't even lift a finger when this happens. Person jumps into tiger cage - stand back and enjoy the show. The only tragedy is if they put the tiger down because of this.
The human gene pool needs an infusion.
They better not punish the tiger in any way.
So now do we make zoos illegal...i mean it seems to be a danger...a threat to our safety!!! Please government help...i need you to protect me from stupidity!
This guy was stupid for jumpin in...probably on some depressant. The gov does not know which stuff to legalize. Had the guy smoked a joint...he'd be at dominoes instead of the zoo!
It's too bad the tiger didn't bites this idiots balls off instead so the stupid moron can't breed.
What can you do, the man just wanted to play with the kitties. I guess he didn't think the kitties would view him as lunch!
He followed his pied piper leader Obama to the wrong jump off point, the cliff is still a little down the road.
Left feet of idiots ... "THEIR GREEEAATTTT !!!"
Stewardess, the service on this monorail sucks. I am so out of here.
Visual image of a disgruntled passenger jumping off the train.
And fade to black as the tiger moves in.............
The things people do to themselves, one can only shudder at them.
Most of us would jump off a twenty foot cliff to escape a tiger [not that it would do much good]. This fool jumped off a nice, safe monorail, to fall 20 feet into a tiger enclosure.
There has to be more than mind-numbing stupidity at work here. Either he fell, he was pushed, or he's bull-moose crazy.
Thanks to this idiot, the tiger will have to be put down.. that is the policy once any animal attacks a human and gets a taste for human flesh..thats it for the animal, because all zoo personal will be targets because the animal knows the human can be attacked and are mighty tasty...
He wasn't pushed and he's not crazy, the poor guy jumped because he became dispondent after somebody on the monorail jokingly said Mitt Romney might be our next President.
What part of big cats don't belong in a zoo doesn't anyone get?
It might be sad to see another idiot get needlessly hurt but I'm pretty happy seeing natural selection at work.
exactly....
Mike-I can assure you, this tiger will most definitely not be put down. I am a zookeeper in an AZA accredited zoo as the Bronx Zoo is also. Our animals do not get punished for natural behavior. We also do not go in with our dangerous animals, so there is no fear that the tiger will suddenly go after keepers.
@Elaine, why?
kellie-1975403
Is stupidity considered a "pre-existing condition" ? If so then this guy and you both qualify for coverage !
Man, I hope the big kitty wasn't too traumatized from all of this.
Yeh, wonder if this fellow was Asian? Year of the Tiger.
Elaine, it won't be long before zoos are the only place these cats will exist. And I'm sure these tigers were bred in captivity, so it's not like they were yanked from their natural habitat. I'm a firm believer that if we can't take our kids to a zoo and show them these magnificent animals, no one will care about saving them.
Some people are too dumb to live.
Paul,
If it weren't for dumb people.....we would have nothing to laugh about.
"kellie-1975403 Comment collapsed by the community
He, wanted to see if Obama-care really works !"
He should have waited a few years but of course it would work since all he would have to do is show his insurance card (from a Private Insurer) at the hospital. Or would you prefer he didn't have insurance and you paid for his stupid act?
If they put that lion down, I will be OUTRAGED! That man was an idiot and the lion should not have to pay the ultimate price. What people will do for their 15 minutes of fame.
A total dumb ass he is. Tarzan he's not.
Per a NY network piece on this incident: the man will be undergoing psychiatric evaluation. He was trying to commit suicide. His neighbors and friends from back in high school all said he was strange. He posted pictures of various types of big cats recently on his FB page. This was on the network news tonight.
If they put that lion down, I will be OUTRAGED!
Most of us will be also because he jumped into a tiger den and was atttacked by a .......wait for it.....
Only those of absolute stupidity will find a way to add politics in an area where politics clearly is not involved. I can't go into any article that is in no way shape or form related to politics without this banter. why do these people pollute the internet with their idiocy, it aggrivates mebeyond all reason.
I don't care if you are democrat, republican, independant, etc. All I care about right now is that a lunatic jumped in a tiger enclosure and only lost a foot.
OBAMA AND ROMNEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS ARTICLE
And you just know this dumb son of a bitch is gonna sue.
That man is a mentally disturbed idiot. This tiger was in no way in the wrong and should not have been put in danger.
What kind of damage was done by the fire extinguisher? Those things can kill. The man should have to pay all medical bills and for pain and suffering to the big cat. Maybe he could work it off cleaning big cat's cages.
What a dickhead!!!!!!! R.O.F.L.
Elaine, why, because you say so?
I understand your statement. I get it. I just don't agree with it.
If they put down a lion, I will be AMAZED, as it was a tiger which mauled this fool.
Jerry 1.28
Actually jerry, there's a precedent for that. I recall reading several years ago about some guy hiking in the Pine Barrens in southern NJ where he encountered a rattlesnake. This guy decided to pick it up and as expected, the snake bit him.
After he was treated at a local hospital, he was issued a summons for harassing the snake. Well deserved, I think.
well that, was a stupid thing to do.........should have just let the tigers eat him.
He read too many Calvin & Hobbes comics while growing up...
And to think that all zoo animals are supposed to be happy and well adjusted? And well fed?
Serves you right, sir. And not at all surprising.
It doesn't matter how "happy" or well fed a tiger is. A tiger is a TIGER & does what tigers do. Stay out of their f---king cages!!
See... they got this all wrong... it would have been a tiger attack IF the tiger were not in HIS enclosure minding his business. This fool should be treated just like they did Plaxico Burress, his went to jail for shooting himself... just saying.
Seriously, when some guy throws himself into a tiger's den this way, the animals are going to view him as a what he is - a cat snack!
What's really sad is that #1. some idiots will call for euthenizing the big cat. #2. T A hole will probably sue, and some idiot Liberal Judge will award him millions! #3. And this is really sad! That poor kitty will probably be sick fom that idiots tainted blood! Whether from drugs or just plain stupidity! The guy should be charged with home invasion! The cat had every right to defend its home!!!
Dang, now I got "Its the eye of the tiger, its the thrill of the fight" running through my mind.
As time goes on apparently it was a suicide attempt that was ot working well for him. I mean letting a wild animal eat you would not be very high up on my list if I was ever going to contemplate suicide.
They're grrrrrreat!
And now he's gonna sue and get millions from the zoo.
He is lucky he only lost one foot and not an entire yard
I love you. LMAO
LOL
Stop,I squirted coffee through my nose and all over my keyboard when I read your post.
Oh my GATO!!! This is the funniest one yet!! HAHAHA, a yard!!! You're killing me!
Guess who is going to pay this idiots' medical bills.
... He will. In one form or another.
Since Rontron cares only for self - I vote that Rontron pays for everyones medical bills WOO HOO !
Sees thrue gloss: chuckle!!!
It's a shame he jumped in feet first!
Suicide by tiger....epic.
Leave the foot...take the canolle.
ok Clemenza
Mother earth is his religion? crazy lost liberal, Tiger should have eaten his dumb a**, that liberal would have given the tiger indigestion.
Famous last words. Watch this..
"Hold my beer and watch this"
"That sure didn't turn out like I thought."
"He's in a zoo so he's not THAT dangerous."
'' I TORT I SAW A POOTTY CAT...I DID...I DID!!!!!!
"Nice kitty...pretty kitty...AIYEE! NO! NO! BAD KITTY....!"
Please tell me that they didn't kill the tiger over this.
Nope, especially not an endangered species. This moron entered the Tiger's turf. The tiger isn't to blame. Zoo officials are smart enough to know that. If the tiger had somehow escaped (as we've read in other horrific stories, that's a whole other ballgame. I believe they shot one that escaped at the SF zoo last year or a couple of years ago because it was attacking people.
remember a few years back when three morons climbed into the polar bear enclosure and were eaten the cops lined up against the cage and riddled the bears. Who they should have shot were the parents for having something that stupid.
if this fool did indeed enter a restricted area of the zoo....then perhaps he should have lost more than just his foot. No sympathy...or in other words, doesn't have a leg to stand on.
"you put your left foot in, ya take your left foot out. You put your right foot in...and ya shake it all about.Do the hokie-pokie....."
the jokes kinda write themselves.
@Robbie-1437294
Please read the article yourself. Preferably before commenting.
give the tiger a steak! sue the guy for the cost of the emts and police. stupid is as stupid does! love the left foot in comment! keep em comin!
Give the tiger a medal. People are so stupid around wild animals sometimes.
Yes, capaleen, the fool entered a restricted area. He jumped off of the monorail, a 20 foot drop, so it wasn't like this idiot was dangling his foot over the side and the tiger jumped up. If I remember correctly, because it has been many years since we took the kids to the Bronx Zoo, it isn't easy to climb out of the monorail either.
They didn't shoot the tiger because tiger is worth more than this idiot.
Don't worry Kay, he'll be getting a bill for the EMTs. They bill you regardless of why you need them.
Backcountry - The article was updated AFTER I commented. Jeez, some people...
Why does everyone say he lost his foot? The article says he injured his foot.
I was wondering the same, then I went looking at some other news articles - apparently the police initially reported that he lost either a leg or a foot. Now they're saying he didn't, but it seems he may have a severe leg injury, probably from the 20-foot drop.
Jeez Mitchell Levinson....lighten up!
I read the story, and I know he wasn't "dangling his foot over the side".
I was making a joke..a joke, okay? (like 99% of the other people on this thread). The hokie-pokie song was the first thing I thought of after reading the account of this idiot's misadventure.
I'm sure any ensuing jokes will be THE least of this guy's problems....
What is it with these nutcases that insist on jumping into predatory animal enclosures? If you want to kill yourself, don't make these poor animals complicit in your douchebaggery...
Maybe the tiger looked a lot smaller from the monorail? He was at least 20 feet away y'know. Maybe he thought he was going in to pet a housecat?
Someone mentioned a lawsuit in a post above. How much you want to bet that idiot already has a lawyer drawing up papers for him?
Paul: Hope he lawyer understands "contributory negligence." Anyone can sue for anything, that is true, and there are way too many lawyers out there (have to agree with Mark Twain on that one). But if this guy gets any money, that Tiger will eat my shorts!!!!
Darwin award!
We should make a web site for donations..this is so sad..hope the tiger recovers fast and lives a healthy life!..F**k the idiotic guy!
Nope, he'd have to die or lose his ability to procreate to be eligible for a Darwin. He could get an Honorable Mention though, and deservedly so...
I'm pretty sure the tiger is fine. He got a special snack and some free press. Who wouldn't be content?? LOL
What's all this crap about web sites for donations? If you want to donate to the zoo, they have a web site.
@Satan's Valet-4480965
Which is still a possibility.
Not even remotely funny earthycat. Keep the politics and the religious slams to yourself on this one please.
ready2change: tell that to all folks making political jokes... not just Mitt Romney haters
Right ready2change
earthcat must have forgotten his own demcats were unhappy about Kennedy because he was a catholic, better a morman than a muslim sympathizer.
earthycat, he wasn't a Mormon, just a Moron.
he is lucky he only lost his foot! what an idiot...next thing you know, he will file a lawsuit
Yeah well he'll have to survive first. The Article did say he was in critical condition.
Really, I thought he was just CATatonic.
LOL!
Good one Dirp.
As Forrest Gump said, "stupid is as stupid does"!!!!!!!!! Darwin once again rules!!!!!
I agree with Dave. I was a docent at the zoo, and tigers are beautiful animals, but dangerous. They are not like a house cat.
Uh drugs are bad..... Mkay?
Nothing good ever happens when I go to the zoo.
stupid stupid stupid
dude, i know the yankees suck, but it's not that bad!!!!!
You must be a jealous M@!$%#.
When I was a 16 I jumped into a pen full of tigers..thank the lord none of them took a bite out of me.Only thing happen to me was..I was escorted out of the stadium.
I jumped into the Detroit Tigers pitchers bull 'pen' and said they stink. ;)
Ha Ha!!!!!!!!!!!! Best comment I read today. Thanks.
Too bad the emergency crews were so fast.
Yeah...but not as fast as the tiger.
Poor cat needed a couple rolaids!
If they find he jumped willingly, he loses all rights to sue (because you know he's going to try) ... that and the fact there should be a fine for simply being a dope.
Don't bet on it. Bet, some snake of a lawyer is already trying to figure a way around the law to sue.
I'm sure some ambitious lawyer will take it on - the monorail is unsafe, there should be bars or glass to keep people from exiting the car while it is in motion, there should be seat belts and restraints to keep people sitting down, there was no warning posted that passengers shouldn't jump, also no warning about the possibility that a tiger might eat you, etc...... Basically, if the zoo didn't do everything in their power to prevent this sort of incident, short of shackling him to his seat, they are culpable.
This is the same country where people who jumped willingly into a Super-sized combo meal 7 days a week for 20 years can win law suits against fast food companies for mauling them with heart disease and diabetes. Not a perfect metaphor, but it's the best I've got right now.
In what case would he have jumped unwillingly? I doubt he was screaming, "Don't make me jump, please!" right before he did.
Actually what he said was "here kitty, kitty, kitty... ooops. AAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!"
IF he lives he may try to sue. This is a sue-happy society. Doesn't mean he will win, but a lot of places settle out of court just to avoid all the legal fees. Some laws have "frivolous suit" counter-suits now to protect against such non-sense. We should take up a collection to make sure they don't settle out and fight this so the Zoo wins. Guess it would be wrong to just hope he doesn't make it out of critical condition? It's time to thin the herd, let nature take its course.
Stupid is as stupid does. Whatever was that idiot thinking?
sorry...but stupid people can't think.
"Aw crap, I thought feeding time was over."
I bet he was hopping mad!
His new nickname is "Peg"!
or "Neil"
If it were a women, it would be "Eileen"!
If it was a Chinese woman it would be Irene.
Could be Hopalong.
I rather just call him an A$$HOLE. It's more fitting.
Now I gotta cut loose
Footloose, kick off the Sunday shoe
Newstart2012, its more like kick off your sunday foot and give it to a tiger
He had to be high on something. Now he is a foot shorter.
Now that's good.
Or maybe he had an undiagnosed mental illness. Why so quick to jump on the "he HAD to be high" bandwagon?
no sympathy, mental people do not run towards danger, they usually create danger. no matter what the brain thinks, even humans have instincts that are very basic....Tiger ....run..... not jump in and play.
The link on NBC's front page I clicked on was "Man loses foot in tiger attack at Bronx Zoo" -- a more accurate headline would have been "Tiger successfully defends self from intruder - tiger is fine".
That's right. I hate that they use the word "attacked".
You're absolutely correct about what the headline should've been!!
I hate when the use the word "victim" for the idiot!
WhatsLegal:
EXCELLENT POST... absolutely PERFECT!!!
Thats so funny I'm in tears. Hope they get some therapy for the tiger having his dinner taken away. Thats gotta be stressful.
I was hoping for something good and funny to read on the net and this idiot delivers. THANK YOU!!!!
Sad when adults act so stupidly, for whatever reasons.
the comments alone are priceless!
Now, imagine his family members reading these comments.
@wolfpack2000- Why? I wouldn't imagine that they are too thrilled with his actions right now. At least he's still alive.
I figured the comments were well deserved. His family is probably too embarrass to say anything or admitt that they're related.
The guy was probably a Kansas Jayhawk fan.
Or an Iowa Hawkeye..
Wouldnt you? Have you seen the football team lately.
earthycat 777 you are not worthy of Semper Fi. You are a coward and never set foot in the military, you wished. What a moron to wear the Marines logo and vote for a muslim President for the United States. You should be tarred and feathered.
True fact: You are an idiot and a dickhead for joining the military.
Hey JoobyFoo...doing anything next week...we could meet up and discuss things?
and you? .....do not care enough about your country to fight for your freedom?
Freedom is not free. you can e-mail me and I will be willing to buy you a ticket to any other country....you first will need to give up your American Citizenship......get out of our country.
@JoobyFoo- Who do you think protects your right to post inane bullfeces on the internet?
Hint: It sure as hell isn't the moron jumping into tiger pens at the zoo.
Internet threats.
About as serious and useful as tits on a bull.
True Fact
You are not worthy of the miiltary uniform. You sounded like some dirtball who should be wearing a fuking white sheet and a hood instead. Because you are ranting like a fuking lowlife racist. Who the fuk are you to tar and feathered anyone. You sounded so tough......I $hit out a fuking turd bigger than you already, maggot.
hey wolf, just a thought, but i think you can use the phrase tar and feathered without being a racist.
It's his attitude, not the phrase tarred and feathered. It's the way he's talking about our President. President Obama didn't became our Commander in Chief because he was black man or a Muslim. If you're against another person just because the color of his skin or his religion, than you are a fuking racist.
If every military men thinks like he does about his leader than our world is going straight to hell in a hand-basket. People like him doesn't deserved to be in the military.