NAPLES, Fla. — A critically endangered tiger was heralded as "a great ambassador for his species" when the animal was brought over to Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens in late 2019.
The 8-year-old animal named Eko was shot and killed Wednesday by a Collier County Sheriff's Office deputy after it bit a man's arm and wouldn't let go. The man, said to be in his 20s and worked for a third-party cleaning service, reportedly entered an unauthorized area near the enclosure after the zoo was closed and stuck his arm into the enclosure to either try to feed or pet the animal.
He was critically injured and rushed to the hospital, law enforcement said in a statement.
The tiger retreated in the enclosure after he was shot and became unresponsive, the sheriff's office said.
A veterinarian later accessed his condition when it was safe, law enforcement said. WINK News was first to report Wednesday that Eko had died.
The tiger came to the zoo in late 2019, the zoo said. At the time of his debut, the zoo praised Eko and hoped it would inspire conservation efforts.
"When guests see him, we hope they fall in love and want to learn how they can do their part to save his cousins in the wild," the zoo wrote at the time.
The Malayan tiger had previously lived at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, the zoo said.
According to the IUCN Red List, there are fewer than 120 adult Malayan tigers living in the wild and are listed as critically endangered. The animal is considered the national symbol of Malaysia.
The zoo says it has funded saving wild tigers for more than two decades and is part of the Tiger Conservation Campaign. The zoo also says it participates in the Malayan Tiger Species Survival Plan to maintain "a genetically diverse population in zoos."