Trained Tiger Attacks Worker, Escapes

Police in eastern Germany fatally shot an escaped tiger on Sunday after it mauled a worker at a private enclosure run by a self-styled "Tiger Queen." Authorities say the adult male tiger, one of 10 animals kept by trainer Carmen Zander on an industrial site in Schkeuditz, Saxony, attacked a helper in its enclosure before getting out, per the Telegraph. Armed officers killed the animal about 30 minutes later in a nearby garden roughly 300 yards away. The injured worker, 72, was hospitalized and is in stable condition, police said. Zander, 52, was seen visibly distressed at the scene, according to German media.

Zander, known for sequined stage acts with her big cats, has drawn comparisons to "Tiger King" Joe Exotic. She's faced repeated criticism over her animal shows, which involve her kissing and riding on tigers. She previously admitted in court to holding prohibited private tiger performances to cover care costs and has promoted illegal tiger petting on her website, the Telegraph reports. Animal rights group PETA unsuccessfully sued in 2025 to remove the tigers, saying they were kept in cramped, barren cages. Zander has rejected allegations of mistreatment, with her lawyer arguing she is "like a mother to her tigers." District Mayor Thomas Druskat has now called for the remaining animals to be moved elsewhere, per the BBC.