Man who jumped into Beijing tiger enclosure detained after rescue

A visitor who broke into a white tiger enclosure at the Beijing Wildlife Park in Daxing district on Saturday afternoon has been detained and is currently under investigation, local police said on Sunday.

The intruder was identified by the police as a 56-year-old man surnamed Jiang. He was not injured thanks to safety devices installed in the enclosure and to a swift rescue carried out by staff, the park said in a statement issued on Sunday.

The tigers returned to their pens safely after zookeepers were able to drive them off, it said.

Staff responsible for safety at the enclosure were alerted when the visitor violated regulations and exited a private car. Ignoring their warnings, he ran down the protective slope and jumped into the enclosure's isolation trench.

Staff shouted instructions at the intruder, telling him not to move, while the tigers were given food as a distraction. During the rescue, the visitor refused to follow instructions and climbed into the enclosure from the isolation trench. Then he engaged the 11 white tigers and tried to provoke them with words and actions.

An emergency rescue effort was immediately put in motion, and the tigers were driven back to their pens with the use of food and firecrackers. The intruder was subdued and removed from the enclosure by staff.

The park gave special thanks in the statement to visitors who promptly vacated the enclosure, winning them precious time for the rescue and saving a person's life.