More details have emerged about the man who was mauled by a tiger at a zoo in the United Kingdom.
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In the man's final moments, he was seen "praying" and "bowing" to the ferocious feline. He was mauled to death after entering the tiger enclosure, according to one witness who was at the zoo on the day of the fatal incident.
Man "Prayed" to Tiger After Entering Enclosure
"[He] started praying to the tiger. Bowing down to it," 21-year-old Scarlet Hogan told The Telegraph (via the New York Post). The witness also said that the tiger "looked a bit confused" by the gestures being made by the man.
Hogan also said that the man appeared to be in a trance after entering the tiger's enclosure.
"Up until he got attacked, it was like he was in a trance, not in reality at all," she added.
Hogan also said that at one point the man pulled his phone out and appeared to be "taking selfies" with the tiger inside the enclosure.
One of the more shocking parts of Hogan's recount of the incident was that the man was met with resistance when he initially tried to enter the enclosure. The witness said that a mother who was viewing the tiger exhibit with two young children "desperately tried to pull back" the man before he ultimately made his way into the enclosure. Unfortunately, the man was able to thwart the mother's attempt to stop him. Hogan says that he "overpowered" the woman and "jumped off," which left the woman "really frightened."
Hogan also said that the man stood with his arms wide open shortly before the tiger attacked.
"He had arms wide open ready for the tiger to attack him. It was quite bad," Hogan said. "We were just standing there, frozen...the last thing we saw was the tiger's jaw on his neck."
The man has since been identified in reports as William Chapman. Zoo officials have said the tiger will not be euthanized in the aftermath of the attack.
