A horrific tragedy unfolded this past Saturday at the Growler Pines Tiger Preserve in Hugo, Oklahoma, when 37-year-old Ryan Easley, was fatally attacked by a tiger in front of an audience.
The incident occurred during a performance, leaving witnesses, including Easley’s wife and young daughter, traumatized.
Choctaw County Sheriff Terry Park told ABC News that Easley had been performing with a tiger he had raised since it was a cub when the animal suddenly turned on him. “It happened toward the end of a show in which there were people that saw this incident occur,” Park said. “No one knows, other than God above, as to what made the tiger attack the handler/trainer.”
The tiger bit Easley around the neck and shoulder, likely killing him instantly. When the animal stepped away, Easley’s wife rushed into the enclosure and moved the tiger to another cage.