Man arrested for breaking into zoo’s tiger enclosure
‘It’s something called the eye of the tiger’
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A student who was arrested by Massachusetts State Police for breaking into a tiger enclosure has said he was “there as a spectator”, in remarks defending himself.
Matthew Abraham, 24, was arrested on Monday following the alleged break-in at Franklin Park Zoo, in Boston, Massachusetts.
He was able to walk into the 72-acre zoo before it opened for the day and ignored warning signs before scaling a number of fences, authorities said.
Although Mr Abraham was able to walk into the zoo without paying, he was unable to reach the predator – named Anala – and went as far as an area behind the enclosure.
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He allegedly fled the scene after a short pursuit and was arrested by Massachusetts State Police, who filed charges of trespassing and disorderly conduct.
Mr Abraham, who told NewsCentre 5 on Monday that he was a biology student, said he was visiting the zoo as a “spectator” and wanted to “see a tiger” – especially a tiger’s eyes.
“I was there as a spectator of the zoo,” he told the news station. “I didn’t mean to harm anybody. I wasn’t looking to harm the tiger. I wasn’t looking to harm myself neither. My plan was just to go see what is a tiger. How would a tiger react to a human being?”
“They say that the soul is visible through the eye,” he said of the tiger’s eyes. “They say the eye of the tiger is the most dangerous thing you’ll ever see in your whole life”.
The student, who was due to appear in court on Tuesday for his arraignment, went on to say that “the gates were open. I walked in the gates and then they closed that gate on me. I didn’t realise I was trespassing. I thought I was just going to view the exhibit.”
He was apparently unaware that the zoo asked for payment for admission in winter.
It was no known if Mr Abraham, who was released on a $40 (£29) bail fee, had a lawyer.
Additional reporting by Associated Press.