Tiger Kills Zoo Worker During Behind-Scenes Tour in Jerusalem

Uriel Nuri, a 36-year-old head of the carnivores team at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, was fatally attacked by a tiger that escaped its enclosure during a behind-the-scenes tour for visitors. He sustained extensive upper body injuries and was pronounced dead after resuscitation efforts at Hadassah University Hospital. The zoo management, together with Israeli police, is conducting a comprehensive investigation to determine how the tiger managed to escape into the courtyard where Nuri was working, with a possible technical malfunction of the enclosure door under review. Visitors were never in physical danger during the incident, as they were protected behind a glass window. The zoo, which houses various big cats including critically endangered Sumatran tigers and other species mentioned in the Bible, has been closed to the public until further notice. The management expressed deep condolences to Nuri's family and highlighted the immense pain felt by the staff.