Tigers killed zoo man - source
2005-12-20 22:10
Debbie Sauer
Bloemfontein - Indications are that the man who was found dead in the tiger enclosure at Bloemfontein zoo was killed by the animals.
His naked body was spotted by a visitor to the zoo at about 11:00 on Sunday.
According to a reliable source, the man had died after being bitten in the neck.
He is said to have been between 30 and 35 years old.
Police believe the man was a robber.
They said in a statement on Tuesday that while the man had not yet been identified, a stolen cellphone had been found near his body.
The clothes found strewn in the enclosure also matched those
of a man who'd robbed a couple.
The couple said the man and a friend had accosted them near the zoo at about 06:00 on Sunday.
The two threatened the couple with knives and robbed them of their cellphones and purses before feeling.
Security guards from a nearby company who'd heard the couple's screams, went to investigate.
They saw the suspects and gave chase.
One of the suspects got away, but the other couldn't run any further and jumped the zoo's fence.
The zoo was still closed and the security guards had to give up the chase.
They called the police and gave them a description of the robber.
Police think the robber had mistaken the fence of the tigers' enclosure - which is almost in the middle of the zoo - for the perimeter of the zoo.
- Volksblad