Visitor mauled to death by tiger in Ningbo zoo in China

Police dispatched a special forces unit to the Youngor zoo on Sunday

A man has been mauled to death by a tiger after he entered its enclosure at a zoo in eastern China.

The tiger was then shot dead by a special forces unit from the local police, in the Sunday incident at the Youngor Zoo in the city of Ningbo. The man was rushed to the nearest hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Park visitors were ushered out of the park on Sunday afternoon

He had climbed over the zoo's walls to avoid paying for a ticket, and landed in the tiger enclosure, local tourism authorities said in a statement.

The zoo was closed to visitors after the attack. State broadcaster CCTV said it remained closed on Monday.

Screams heard

The mauling took place at about 14:00 in full view of park visitors, some of whom posted video clips and pictures of the attack online.

The man, wearing a blue parka and black trousers, can be seen lying on the ground. A tiger appears to have its jaws around his neck and head while two other tigers circle around him.