A tiger attacked a zoo worker and died while cleaning the zoo's horse, officials said

A zoo worker has died after being attacked by a tiger while cleaning the animal's horse, Romanian officials reported.

City officials posted on social media that the attack took place early Monday in the city of Pitesti, a city in south-central Romania.

The initial investigation by the police revealed that the 52-year-old victim, who works at the Pitesti Zoo, entered the tiger's cage without following safety rules and was attacked and killed, according to the report.

The employee has worked at the zoo since 2015, officials announced. It was the first such attack in 50 years at the zoo.

Officials said an internal investigation is ongoing.

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The mayor of the city, Cristian Gentea, shared his thoughts with the victim's family on his Facebook page, adding that he ordered a temporary suspension of activities at the zoo while the investigation continues.

Witnesses told Romanian official Evenimentul Zilei that the attack was very violent, and a case of manslaughter has been opened by local police.

Zoo leaders and staff are deeply affected by the incident, officials wrote in a news release.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at X @nataliealund.

This article first appeared in USA TODAY: Tiger kills Romanian zoo worker while cleaning cage