Horror at Mariupol Zoo: Alexey Melnikov Dies Instantly in Tiger Attack

A zookeeper at Mariupol Zoo in Russian-occupied Ukraine was killed after a rare white Bengal tiger attacked him. The victim, Alexey Melnikov, died instantly when the tigress, named Lucy, mauled him inside her enclosure.

Alexey thought he had moved Lucy to another cage before entering. But the tiger was still inside, hiding in a wooden den. When he stepped in, she attacked him suddenly. A coworker, Galina Zamarakhina, heard screams and barely escaped.

“I somehow closed the cage in time,” Galina said. “The tiger was looking at me. I don’t know how I managed to shut it.”

Zoo director Savely Vashura said Lucy may have attacked because she was protecting her four cubs.

“She came out from behind, and bam—the man was gone,” Vashura said. “Maybe he got distracted. He knew the animals, he loved them.”

Blood and Alexey’s clothes were found inside the cage.

Russian authorities are investigating the death. A spokesperson said:

“A white tiger attacked a zoo worker when he entered the cage to feed it. The man died from his injuries.”

Alexey had once said in an interview, “I love animals very much—I can’t live without them.” He worked mostly with predators, feeding and moving them between cages.

This is not the first such incident. In December 2024, a Romanian zookeeper was killed by a tiger at Pitesti Zoo. The 52-year-old worker forgot to close a safety door while feeding the animal. The tiger bit his head, and he later died in the hospital.

Both cases raise questions about safety rules for zookeepers working with dangerous animals. Experts say strict protocols must always be followed to prevent such tragedies.