A white tiger at Delhi Zoo mauled to death a youth after he fell into its enclosure on Tuesday afternoon. Despite repeated warnings that he shouldn’t get too close to the outdoor enclosure, the man eventually climbed over a knee-high fence, through some small hedges, then jumped down 18 feet into a protective moat, said National Zoological Park – spokesman Riyaz Ahmed Khan.

The tiger, which lives on a grassy tree-filled island, grabbed the man from the moat .

Authorities eventually frightened the tiger into a small cage inside the enclosure. The man, whose body remained in the outdoor enclosure two hours after the attack, was dead by the time help reached him, Khan said.

“The tiger was just being a tiger,” said Belinda Wright, who has spent years working to protect India’s dwindling numbers of wild tigers. “An unusual object fell into his domain. … He’s a wild animal in captivity. It is certainly not the tiger’s fault.” Eyewitnesses said that the incident took place as the victim, said to be in his early 20s, was taking pictures of the tiger. Further details about him were not immediately available. The zoo remained open Tuesday afternoon, though authorities eventually roped off the tiger enclosure. Police said that further investigation is on into the matter.