Tragedy for the white tigers in Singapore

Update:

Here's a shocking video I found taken by a zoo visitor. It is quite scary to watch the attack as a video versus static images that were published. None of these images showed the tigers actually biting into the man. While I wrote quite a flippant entry, reality sank in after watching this video. It really is a tragedy that someone chose such a painful way to die. Or that he even resorted to commit suicide in the first place. After all, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

Written earlier on 13th Nov 2008:
Shock is an understatement when I read about white tigers in Singapore Zoological Gardens killing a man. As the story went, this young cleaner Nordin Bin Montong, 32, tried to 'commit suicide' by leaping heroically into the tigers' enclosure with the tools of his trade, then brandished his broom like some kind of sword to agitate the tigers.

This story sort of put Singapore Zoo into the international headlines. Wah, imagine this actually happening in sane and sedate, sheltered Singapore!! I kinda feel sorry for the tigers. If you just read the headlines, you'd think that these tigers were a bunch of ferocious wild cats hungry for some action when in fact they were "victims" of this cleaner guy who selfishly made use of them to plot his own tragic death.

So as the story continues, this Montong started screaming when the kitties came along to have a closer look at his antics. He then comically put his bright yellow pail over his head...like some white knight in shining armor from the medieval times...and... curled up on the ground in cowardice. Okay, I am being quite mean to this poor dead man, but before trying to kill himself in such a highly-publicized way, shouldn't he have thought about the pain and how famous he may get from bad press? What a way to go! If I had to choose a way to die, maybe something boring like pills, or carbon monoxide would do.

Kudos to the zoo for feeding the cats well. Otherwise, it wouldn't just be mauling.. it would be a dream come true for gore freaks.

For more on the story, visit http://ahgonghippo.wordpress.com/2008/11/14/cleaner-killed-by-singapore-zoo-white-tigers/