Tiger handler Ryan Easley was mauled to death by one of his charges over the weekend while performing with the big cat at the Oklahoma sanctuary where he worked.

“It is with profound sorrow that we confirm the tragic loss of Ryan Easley, who lost his life in an accident involving a tiger under his care at the Growler Pines Tiger Preserve on September 20th, 2025,” the facility said in a Facebook post Sunday. The private preserve normally welcomes visitors for tours and a closer look at the huge mammals but has now suspended operations indefinitely.

Easley, 37, was wrapping up an act with the tiger when the animal suddenly turned on him, Choctaw County Sheriff Terry Park told The New York Times. One second everything was normal, and a split second later “the tiger grabbed him and star

See Full Page