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Johannesburg - The attack by a tiger on a circus cleaner over the weekend was not as bad as people were making out, according to the owner of the circus.
EWN reported on Monday that the cleaner is in a stable condition in hospital.
David McLaren, the owner of the McLaren Circus, told the Cape Argus that the tiger was not to blame, and should not be put down.
According to McLaren, the cleaner was mopping up the tiger enclosure on Sunday and had forgotten to close the safety clips which partition off the cage to allow it to be cleaned safely. This meant the tiger could open the cage door and pounce on the cleaner.
He said the tiger was probably protecting her territory, and none of the tigers showed any signs of aggression after the incident.
A circus performer reportedly heard screams and used a broom to swat the 150kg animal off the cleaner.
An earlier report stated that the cleaner sustained severe bite wounds and lacerations to his neck and chest. Netcare 911 paramedics treated the man at the scene and transported him to hospital. According to a tweet on Sunday, the man was classified as being in a serious condition.
McLaren, however, told the Cape Argus that Netcare 911 was incorrect, and the incident was not as serious.
Earlier this year, a MyNews24 User raised concerns about the circus when it visited Knysna.
