Tragedy at Germany's 'Tiger Queen' Facility: Escaped Tiger That Attacked Trainer Shot Dead

A 280kg Tiger Escapes and Is Shot Dead at German Breeding Facility
73-Year-Old Trainer Seriously Injured... Tiger Roamed Outside for 30 Minutes
Operator Chander: "The Worst Week of My Life"

A tiger attacked its trainer and escaped from a private breeding facility in Germany before being shot dead by police.

Jandokan, the tiger that escaped after staying at a private breeding farm in Germany and was subsequently shot. Carmen Chander Official Website

According to Yonhap News, citing MDR Broadcasting on the 17th (local time), at around 1:00 p.m. that day, a tiger named Jandokan attacked a 73-year-old man who was working as an assistant trainer at a breeding facility in Schkoeditz, Saxony, eastern Germany, leaving him seriously injured before escaping.

Jandokan is nine years old this year and weighs approximately 280 kilograms. The police, concerned about the possibility of further harm, deployed armed personnel and used live ammunition to shoot and kill the tiger. According to local media, the tiger wandered outside the facility for about 30 minutes. The police are using helicopters and drones to check whether any other tigers escaped and whether any other animals were attacked by the killed tiger. It is reported that there are nine more tigers at the facility.

Carmen Chander, the 'Tiger Queen' running the breeding farm. Official Website

The breeding facility is operated by Carmen Chander, 52, a former big cat trainer known as the 'Tiger Queen,' who once made a name for herself in the European circus industry. However, after allegations of abuse, including beating tigers, arose, she stopped performing three years ago and has since been raising ten tigers at the facility. On her official website, Jandokan is described as "a tiger who, contrary to appearances, is timid and quickly becomes anxious in unfamiliar situations."

Chander was reportedly not at the facility at the time of the incident. The police stated that the injured 73-year-old man was "an authorized assistant at the facility." The incident occurred while the man was feeding Jandokan, when a problem arose. The tiger then attacked the man and escaped by jumping over a two-meter-high fence. Chander said, "It was my Jandokan. This is the worst week of my life."

Last year, Chander was tried for allowing visitors to view the tigers for an entrance fee of 20 euros (about 35,000 won) without official permission from the authorities. She argued, "I had no other choice, as it costs 4,500 euros (about 785,000 won) per month to feed the tigers."

Animal protection groups have demanded government intervention, stating, "Keeping ten tigers in a space of just over 600 square meters is itself animal abuse." In response, Chander argued, "If the tigers are separated from me, they will refuse food and eventually die."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.