Beijing - A tiger killed a zookeeper in eastern China on Friday, state media reported, attacking him while he was cleaning the animal's enclosure.



The zookeeper, identified by the surname Gong, was treated after the animal jumped on him and bit him but died about an hour later, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing local authorities.

Zoo staff managed to drive the beast away from Gong and injected it with tranquillizers, Xinhua said, quoting the city government in Jiangxi province where the attack occurred.

Two keepers at a zoo in Shanghai were killed by tigers in separate incidents in 2010 and 2013.