This Friday, Sept. 21, 2012 image from video provided by WABC shows authorities investigating the scene where a man was mauled by a tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said Saturday that 25-year-old David Villalobos told investigators that he deliberately leaped into a zoo exhibit because he wanted to “be one with the tiger.” Police say they plan to arrest Villalobos, who remained hospitalized in stable condition Saturday after the 400-pound cat bit him in the back. He also suffered broken bones in the jump Friday from an elevated train that circles the exhibitNEW YORK – Before his now-infamous tangle with a Bronx Zoo tiger, David Villalobos adorned his Facebook page with New Age odes to Mother Earth and affirmations like, “Be love and fearless.”
Police said Saturday that Villalobos had told detectives that it was without fear that he leaped from an elevated train into the animal’s den. His reason, they said, was that “he wanted to be one with the tiger.”
Villalobos also recounted how, after he landed on all fours, the 400-pound beast attacked him and dragged around by his foot, said New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne. Despite serious injuries, he claimed he was able to get his wish and pet the tiger – a male Siberian named Bashuta – before his rescue, the spokesman added.
Based on those admissions and a complaint from the zoo, police were planning to arrest the hospitalized Villalobos on trespassing charges, Browne said. It was unclear when that would happen or if the 25-year-old real estate agent had an attorney; attempts to reach relatives on Saturday were unsuccessful.
Villalobos’ big-cat exploits Friday afternoon were an instant tabloid sensation: A front page New York Post story on Saturday was headlined “MAULED!” The Daily News countered with “ZOO-ICIDE,” speculating a death wish.