ROME (REUTERS) - A 72-year-old man was killed by three tigers in a closed-down zoo in northern Italy after he entered the animals' cage to feed them, media reports said on Tuesday.

The zoo, in the mountainous area of Pinerolo near Turin, was closed due to financial difficulties in 2009 and its owners had not managed to relocate nine tigers and one leopard kept there, the Corriere della Sera daily reported.

The tigers attacked the zoo's caretaker suddenly as he was feeding them, and his wife raised the alarm, state broadcaster Rai said.

Emergency services confirmed his death at the scene. Locals had previously expressed concerns about the tigers, which were not sterilised and recently had cubs.