FUJIAN, CHINA — A Chinese zookeeper in southern China was fatally bitten by a "domesticated" tiger he had raised since it was just a cub.

The zookeeper, who worked at Fuzhou zoo in Fujian province, surnamed Wu, was with the tiger inside a cage previously used for training and exercise on Sunday.

According to the zoo, the tiger was raised by Wu since it was cub, and had been domesticated through long-term interaction with humans. Everything seemed fine until the big cat suddenly pounced on Wu and bit him in his neck and suffocated him to death.

Zoo staff eventually reached the unresponsive zookeeper, but sadly Wu was later declared dead by paramedics.

In a interview with China's BJNews, the tiger used to perform for visitors as part of a circus event in eastern China. The show already stopped before the accident, with all of its lions shipped away, but the tigers were still awaiting relocation approval.