Man flicks lit cig at caged tiger

A middle-aged man scaled the railing of a white tiger enclosure at the Hefei Wildlife Park, Anhui province on Wednesday, where he stroked its backside and flicked a cigarette at it to rouse the resting feline.

The man jumped railings and crossed green belts to reach the enclosure containing three white tigers, one of which was resting at the edge of its mesh cage, zookeepers said. Finding the animal not entertaining enough, the man reached into the cage and pet the tiger's backside.

Witnesses said the tiger then stood up and looked back at the man, who responded by flicking a lit cigarette to the horror of onlookers. "Oh, it's too dangerous," some visitors screamed.

Park employees complain that despite ample signage this is an ongoing problem. Visitors often feed and even throw objects such as bottles at cages to provoke a response from the caged animals.

"We usually stop it when we see it, but it's difficult when the park is crowded," a zookeeper told reporters at the scene.