White tiger kills zookeeper in Japan

Oct. 9 (UPI) -- A white tiger mauled a zookeeper to death in a zoological park in Japan, authorities said Monday.

Akira Furusho, 40, was found dead in the tiger's cage in the Hirakawa Zoological Park, located in the southern city of Kagoshima. According to Kyodo News, Furusho was bleeding from the neck when his body was found.

Zoo workers tranquilized the tiger before rescue workers arrived.

The zoo's handling of its white tigers is under investigation.

The Hirakawa Zoological Park opened in 1972 and keeps four white tigers in captivity.

According to the Guardian, this was the second animal attack on a zookeeper in Japan this year.

In March, a gorilla at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo bit a worker on the arm, which prompted an investigation into how the zoo protects employees from dangerous animals.