Mr Nordin Mondong, 32, from Sarawak, is believed to have fallen into the moat surrounding the White tiger enclosure at about 12.15pm and was immediately pounced on by the three big cats weighing over 100 kg each. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
Earlier before the attack, Mr Nordin Montong, 32, a contract worker from Sarawak, was seen acting strangely.
An Australian couple, who did not want to be named, said that they heard a splash and saw the worker making his way across the 10 metre-wide moat at 12.15pm.
At the other side, he looked as if he wanted the tiger 'to check him out,' they told The Straits Times.
Waving a broom and pail, he approached the big cats, each weighing over 100 kg.
The largest tiger lunged at him and he fell and quickly recoiled in a foetal position while trying to cover her head with the pail.
The horrified Australians and other visitors at the enclosure thought it was part of a show until one of the tigers bit Mr Nordin's back and started dragging him to the tigers' den.
They started screaming.
The commotion alerted a keeper nearby. He quickly used his walkie-talkie to raise an alarm.
About 20 other keepers came forward and managed to get the tigers back in the den. The police was called and an ambulance arrived at 12.45 pm.
While waiting for the ambulance, Zoo vets and keepers attended to Mr Nordin but found that he had a bite on the neck and a fractured skull.
He died shortly after.
Software consultant W.R. de Boer said he was watching the white tigers when he noticed Mr Nordin in the moat with a broom and a pail.
The 40-year-old Dutch national said that there were 20 to 30 visitors at the enclosure and he had thought thought it was a show until he saw a tiger's claw take a swipe at Mr Nordin, who screamed out in pain.
'We all started shouting at the tigers telling them to go away and one person even threw at umbrella at the two tigers that were attacking Mr Nordin.
The third tiger was about 10m away and did not join in the frenzy.
An Australian couple told zoo authorities that they had seen Mr Nordin shouting and throwing things when he walked past the crocodile earlier in the day.
Mr Nordin was also seen leaving the zoo in an agitated state at about 12 noon by colleagues, said the zoo director of marketing and communications Isabel Cheng.
Mr Nordin started working for the zoo in June. His family has been informed of his death.
As a precautionary measure, the Zoo has temporarily closed the White Tiger exhibit.
Police and the Zoo are investigating the incident.
