A tiger attacked a Florida animal sanctuary worker Tuesday afternoon, sending him to the hospital.
An unauthorized employee entered the area where the tiger was being fed by its usual caretaker, according to a Facebook post by Collier County Sheriff’s Office. The victim, an unidentified 50-year-old man, was taken to the hospital with injuries to his arms, according to the sheriff’s office.
Wooten’s Everglades Airboat Tour, the company which owns the animal sanctuary in Ochopee, released a statement Tuesday addressing the status of both the tiger and victim saying.
“The tigers were not injured,” and “all of us at Wooten’s offer our sincere sympathies to the employee and his family, and wish him a speedy recovery,” the company wrote.
The company is licensed to care for tigers by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to their statement.
People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) cautioned people to “avoid any place that exploits big cats for big bucks” in a statement to CNN.
“This incident could easily have turned deadly,” PETA Director Debbie Metzler said. “But as long as the public believes it can ever be safe to pet a tiger, harass wild animals, or even step into their enclosures, this will happen again.” (RELATED: Sheriff’s Deputy Kills Tiger After It Attacked Man At Zoo)
Wooten’s is working with law enforcement as they investigate the incident and will release an updated report when available.