Oklahoma tiger handler killed during performance

Ryan Easley, 37, owner and handler at Growler Pines Tiger Preserve in Oklahoma, died after a tiger he had raised since a cub attacked him during a public demonstration on September 20, 2025. Choctaw County Sheriff Terry Park told ABC News the animal bit Easley in the neck and shoulder toward the end of the show; the preserve posted a Facebook statement mourning his death while PETA criticized the facility and Joe Exotic commented on the incident.