Child dies after tiger attack at Baghdad zoo during Eid holiday

BAGHDAD — A child died Saturday after being attacked by a tiger at the zoo inside Al-Zawraa Park in Baghdad, a 964media correspondent confirmed, as video of the incident circulated widely on social media.

Video obtained by 964media shows a tiger grabbing the child’s leg through a metal fence while two men struggle to pull him free, eventually managing to extract him from the animal’s grip. The child was transferred to hospital with severe injuries and later died from his wounds.

The zoo administration said the child and his companions had crossed a security fence and entered a restricted area designated for staff handling predatory animals, where he “tried to approach and provoke one of the Siberian tigers.” The administration said the incident occurred “as a result of a clear violation of the instructions and warnings in place” and stated it “is not responsible for any harm resulting from violating instructions or crossing security barriers.”

Al-Zawraa Park is one of Baghdad’s most popular recreational areas and draws large crowds during Eid holidays.