According to Chinese media, the violent incident occurred at the Youngor Wildlife Park in the city of Ningbo around 2pm on the 29th January while the country is in the midst of celebrating traditional Lunar New Year.
Onlookers posted graphic videos and images of the incident to Chinese social media platforms Weibo and Sina Weibo, which have since been duplicated on YouTube, after going viral in China.
(WARNING: Footage contains graphic and violent content that may cause distress to some people.）
From onlookers' mobile phone footage, the man was seen being dragged by one tiger and mauled at the neck while two other tigers prowled behind.
Source: weixin
Zookeepers were seen using firecrackers and a water cannon to try to scare the big cats away, but the man died after being rushed to hospital.
Reports say that the attacking tiger in the enclosure was then shot dead by local forestry bureau staff.
There were unconfirmed reports suggesting that the man sneaked into tiger living area by trespassing a creek and blockage between zoo visitors zone and tiger enclosures. But the zoo said they would not make official announcement regarding the cause behind the incident until further investigation completed.
