Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Lion and tiger fatally maul Mexican man on roof

A 56-year-old man was fatally mauled Monday by a lion and a tiger kept on the roof of a Mexico City food wholesaler, police said.

Officers found the body of caretaker Luis Aguilar between the two animals, who were standing next to the small cages in which they were normally held, the Mexico City Police Department said in a statement. Aguilar had looked after the felines since they were cubs, it said.

Mexican media cited witnesses saying Aguilar was feeding the animals when the lion swatted at his legs and the tiger helped pull him down.

The felines were lured back into their cages with meat and then tranquilized and transferred to a nearby zoo, along with an iguana and a macaw also held in the building, police said.

The business owner and four employees were arrested for allegedly trying to stop police entering the building, the statement said. Officials also were checking the owner's permits for the animals.

"These type of animals are definitely not apt to be pets", the statement said.

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