Naples tiger incident: What we know about the attack at the zoo on Dec. 29

On Wednesday, a man who was contracted to clean the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens was attacked by a tiger after he entered the unauthorized area and allegedly tried to pet or feed the animal. The rare Malayan tiger, Eko, was then shot and killed by deputies responding to the incident.

Here's what we know so far.

What happened at the Naples Zoo?

According to the Collier County Sheriff's Office, 26-year-old Naples man River Rosenquist was working at the zoo after hours on Wednesday when he breached the tiger's enclosure. Rosenquist allegedly scaled a 4½-foot fence in an attempt to pet or feed Eko, the 8-year-old tiger. The animal then bit down on Rosenquist's arm and would not let go. According to sheriff's reports, a deputy had to shoot the tiger to get him to release the man.

The rescue was captured on a CCSO deputy's bodycam video. Rosenquist was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers to be treated for his serious injuries. His condition is unknown, and as of Saturday, a hospital official said his name was not on the patient directory.

Wednesday's breaking news story: Man bitten by tiger at Naples Zoo taken to Lee Memorial Hospital; tiger shot, killed

Bodycam video: 'Please, please help me,' man caught in tiger's mouth shrieks

What was the man doing at the Naples Zoo after hours?

Rosenquist was contracted by HMI Commercial Cleaning as part of a crew tasked with cleaning the restrooms and gift shop after operating hours. Workers for the company are not authorized to enter or clean animal habitats.

Zoo officials said Friday since that it would no longer be using HMI.

HMI Commercial Cleaning: What we know about the Naples Zoo cleaning company that employed mauled man

Who was Eko the Malayan tiger?

Eight-year-old Eko was the only tiger at the Naples Zoo. Malayan tigers are rare and critically endangered — around just 200 of the species are left in the wild. Eko was born in 2013 at Arkansas' Little Rock Zoo as part of a program to breed endangered species and raised at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle with his two littermates. He was moved to the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens at the end of 2019.

One of six subspecies of tigers, Malayan tigers are only found in the wild in peninsular Malaysia, where habitat loss, poaching and other human activities have threatened their existence. The subspecies is smaller than other tigers, with adults weighing between 220 - 264 pounds, but larger than Florida's own endangered wild cat, the panther.

Who was Eko?: Eko the Malayan tiger born in Arkansas, raised in Seattle, transported to Naples in 2020

Tragic irony: Naples Zoo tiger's death raises questions about breeding programs

How did the Naples Zoo respond?

Officials at the Naples Zoo said Thursday they supported the Collier County Sheriff's deputy's decision to shoot and kill the rare tiger. According to Naples Zoo director of marketing and public relations Courtney Jolly, the zoo will conduct its own investigation into the incident.

Jolly said the zoo has an emergency response team that is trained to shoot an animal if necessary, but that team operates only during normal zoo hours. She also said the incident was not witnessed by the zoo's after-hours security patrol.

The Naples Zoo closed Thursday, the day after the incident occurred, to give employees time to grieve and reopened Friday morning. Jack Mulvena, president and CEO of the zoo, said Friday the zoo is reviewing all its safety protocols and reiterated support for the deputy's decision to shoot the tiger.

Readers: 'Shooting the tiger was the wrong response'

Many readers and members of the public were outraged by the killing of Eko, taking to social media to question why the deputy chose to fire his gun.

"Police always seem to forget about the pepper spray, taser, or tranquilizer and go right for the gun," wrote Caleb Solomon of Naples on the CCSO's Facebook page.

Bear Warriors United, an environmental conservation group based in Oviedo, suggested the Sheriff's Office should create a response team specially trained to deal with these kinds of situations.

"Shooting the tiger was the wrong response, but thank you for reporting the tragic, preventable incident," they wrote.

'Why kill the tiger?': Readers react to shooting of Naples Zoo animal

State agency getting involved: FWC investigating Dec. 29 incident at Naples Zoo

Criticism of zoos, animal breeding programs

Eko's killing also brought up criticism of zoos and breeding programs for endangered animals from activists and conservationists.

Longtime Fort Myers animal rights activist Madeleine Doran said, "Through no fault of his own, this innocent, beautiful, critically endangered tiger suffered and died because of human selfishness," adding that humans exploit captive animals for entertainment and greed. "It is so unjust."

Carole Baskin, CEO of the nonprofit Big Cat Rescue near Tampa who gained fame after Netflix' 'Tiger King' documentary, posted her critical response on TikTok.

“I am so sorry for that poor cat,” Baskin said, adding “But here’s the deal: Big cats don’t belong in cages" because "it never turns out well for the animal in the end.”

What comes next in the Naples Zoo tiger investigation?

In addition to the Naples Zoo conducting its own investigation and reviewing its safety protocols, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is also investigating Wednesday's events. According to a representative of the FWC, the state agency has received information regarding the incident.

"The FWC’s Captive Wildlife section is currently investigating the incident. When the investigation is complete, the report will be available for release," Melody Kilborn, the FWC SW Region Public Information Director, said on Saturday.

A necropsy for Eko has been scheduled for Monday.

FWC’s Captive Wildlife section inspects facilities that are license holders for the possession, sale, and exhibition of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians in Florida and regulates both native and nonnative mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples tiger: What we know about the Dec. 29 incident at Florida zoo