A tiger handler and an associate of Tiger King’s Joe Exotic was mauled to death in an apparent “accident” involving a big cat under his care, the Oklahoma preserve where the incident occurred said Sunday.
Growler Pines Tiger Preserve in Hugo, located near Oklahoma’s southeastern border with Texas, said in a Facebook statement that the incident involving Ryan Easley happened Saturday.
“Ryan was a passionate advocate for wildlife conservation. His love for animals, especially big cats, was evident in every aspect of his life,” the preserve said.
“This tragedy is a painful reminder of both the beauty and unpredictability of the natural world. Ryan understood those risks — not out of recklessness but out of love,” it continued.
“The animals under his care were not just animals to him, but beings he formed a connection with — one rooted in respect, daily care and love.”
Specifics of the incident were not released.
The center said it has canceled all tours and encounters until further notice.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has been a critic of both Easley and the Growler Pines Tiger Preserve for years. It has described Easley as a former circus exhibitor who “forces tigers to perform” at Growler Pines Tiger Preserve.
It has said that Easley had acquired big cats from Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado, and Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, a subject also profiled in the hit NetFlix docuseries Tiger King.
“It’s never safe for humans to interact directly with apex predators, and it’s never a surprise when a human is attacked by a stressed big cat who has been caged, whipped and denied everything natural and important to them,” PETA Foundation Senior Director of Captive Wildlife Debbie Metzler said Sunday in a statement.
“PETA is calling for the remaining wild animal exhibitors who aren’t dead or in federal prison to get out of the business now and send the animals to accredited sanctuaries where they can finally live in peace.”
The Humane World for Animals, the nonprofit organization formerly known as the Humane Society of the United States, told UPI in an emailed statement that Easley’s death was “a sad and preventable tragedy.”
“We can only hope that it serves as a reminder for operators of cruel wild animal ‘entertainment’ acts on the road or at roadside zoos across the U.S.,” the organization’s director of captive wildlife, Laura Hagen, said in the statement.
“Despite public danger and animal suffering, circuses and fairs still use archaic wild animal acts. We urge the public to avoid any shows that force wild animals to perform. The horrifying and abusive training behind the scenes is a serious risk to humans and animals, and the paying public keeps these businesses alive.”
