A decade ago, a heartbreaking event at the Delhi Zoo sent shockwaves across the country when a young man named Maqsood lost his life after being attacked by a white tiger. What started as an ordinary zoo trip ended in tragedy.
witnessed by a crowd of horrified spectators and captured on video. The incident raised serious concerns about visitor safety, enclosure security, and the readiness of zoo staff to handle emergencies in India.
The tragedy unfolded when Maqsood crossed a protective fence designed to keep visitors at a safe distance from the animals. He lost his footing and fell into the tiger’s habitat—an accident that turned fatal in a matter of minutes.
Despite warnings from zoo personnel, Maqsood moved dangerously close in an attempt to observe the tiger more closely. He slipped into the dry moat area of the enclosure, landing just feet away from a tiger named Vijay.
Disturbing footage showed Maqsood trapped in a corner of the enclosure, facing the tiger in fear. In a desperate plea for his life, he raised his arms and begged for help, hoping to deter the predator.
The standoff lasted several minutes before the tiger suddenly lunged, seizing Maqsood by the neck and dragging him away. Onlookers recounted the horror, saying the attack went on for over 15 minutes as they watched helplessly.
A witness named Himanshu shared that Maqsood remained conscious and in visible agony during much of the attack. Another bystander, Bittu, described how panicked visitors threw stones and shouted in vain attempts to distract the animal and save the victim.
Zoo officials explained afterward that they lacked essential tools such as tranquilizer guns and efficient communication systems, which delayed any effective intervention. Staff and spectators were left powerless as the tiger continued the attack.
Even after the incident, Maqsood’s body lay inside the enclosure for hours, as zoo workers struggled to separate the tiger and secure the area.
His mother, Ishrat, recalled the day in sorrow:
“He left home at 8 in the morning. I told him to go to work. He promised he’d be back that evening. The next thing we heard was that he was taken to the hospital.”
Police opened a case for negligence against unknown persons, but no one was held immediately accountable for what happened.
The Delhi Zoo tragedy still serves as a painful lesson about the dire outcomes that can result from a brief lapse in judgment. Maqsood’s death devastated his family and exposed serious flaws in safety infrastructure and emergency planning. Ten years on, the memory of the incident is a call to strengthen public safety, improve protective measures, and ensure that no such tragedy is ever repeated.