AKIPRESS.COM - A man has been mauled to death by a tiger after he entered its enclosure at a zoo in eastern China, BBC reported.

The tiger was then shot dead by a special forces unit from the local police, in the Sunday incident at the Youngor Zoo in the city of Ningbo.

The man was rushed to the nearest hospital where he was pronounced dead.

He had climbed over the zoo's walls to avoid paying for a ticket, and landed in the tiger enclosure, local tourism authorities said in a statement.

The zoo was closed to visitors after the attack. State broadcaster CCTV said it remained closed on Monday.

The mauling took place at about 14:00 in full view of park visitors, some of whom posted video clips and pictures of the attack online.

The man, wearing a blue parka and black trousers, can be seen lying on the ground. A tiger appears to have its jaws around his neck and head while two other tigers circle around him.