Thursday, December 29, marks one year since a tiger grabbed a worker’s arm at the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens.
The tiger, named Eko, was shot and killed by a deputy after the animal would not let go.
The incident prompted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to change policies around reporting animal attacks.
Since the attack, FWC has changed legislation about reporting animal attacks.
This means the zoo must report any serious injuries caused by an animal, including employees reaching into fences to feed an animal.
Investigators say a contracted employee was feeding or petting the tiger, but the employee, River Rosenquist, was not supposed to be near the tiger.
He was hired to clean bathrooms and the gift shop.
Deputies say Rosenquist reached his hand into the animal enclosure, and that’s when the tiger bit his arm.
Deputies responded to the incident and shot Eko after the tiger would not let go of the arm.
We did reach out to the Naples Zoo about changes made by FWC after Eko’s death and released a statement.
“While the day is certainly heavy on the hearts of our staff, volunteers, members and our community, the Zoo will be a vibrant place tomorrow and guests will enjoy a beautiful day.
We are most focused on protecting our staff from reliving this extremely difficult memory.
We are fully supportive of the policy changes that FWC has made, but we believe they should be the ones to speak directly about those changes.
Again, we hope everyone will come visit with us tomorrow and enjoy and celebrate a beautiful day in our zoo and gardens.”
-Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens
