A big cat trainer known to Joe Exotic has been killed in an “accident involving a tiger under his care.” Ryan Easley was not breathing by the time deputies reached him at the Growler Pines Tiger Preserve in Hugo, Oklahoma, according to the Choctaw County Sheriff via KXII. The site has canceled all tours and confirmed Easley’s death. “This tragedy is a painful reminder of both the beauty and unpredictability of the natural world,” it wrote, adding, “The animals under his care were not just animals to him, but beings he formed a connection with.” PETA, which called on such exhibitors to “send the animals to accredited sanctuaries,” claims Easley first got his tigers from Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado. The Oklahoman reported Exotic initially posted a since-deleted tribute to Easley, saying, “Prayers go out to his family. Ryan took great care of his animals!” That has been replaced with a post on X saying, “This is the c--- I am sick of. CNN drags me into this story to make a headline worth reading and I had nothing to do with this dude other than 18 years ago I let him keep his tigers at my zoo for one winter.”
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