Joe Exotic's emotional tribute to associate mauled to death by tiger at wildlife preserve

"Tiger King" Joe Exotichas shared a heartfelt tribute on social media to one of his colleagues who was tragically mauled by a large cat at his Oklahoma preserve this week.

Ryan Easley, 37, sadly lost his life on Saturday after being attacked by a tiger at his Growler Pines Tiger Preserve, as stated in a Facebook post. TMZ reports that Easley suffered bites to the neck and shoulder area from the tiger before being violently shaken.

Since the horrifying incident, the tiger has been confined to a single cage and will not be permitted to leave until an investigation into the attack is completed.

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Following the tragic event, the social media star, who gained national fame through the Netflix documentary "Tiger King", expressed his sorrow over Easley's death, while urging authorities not to impose stricter regulations on the preserves.

"First of all I would like to send my prayers to Ryan Easley's family for their loss," the animal caretaker posted on X on Monday, reports the Mirror US.

"I have known Ryan for many years," continued Joe Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage. "No one can blame the tiger for what happened. We all take risks in what we do and we don't need further laws to ban tigers because of this because you can get killed doing just about anything."

Maldonado-Passage, currently serving a 21-year sentence for plotting to murder Big Cat Rescue founder Carole Baskin, also hit out at PETA, the animal rights organisation, for alleging that the tigers were crammed into small cages, branding the claims as "total b---t.

"In the early years when I knew Ryan, he wanted to be the one with the most tigers in the ring at one time," Maldonado-Passage penned, expressing his fears that his associate "was going to get killed because some of his cats were crazy in the head but it was about having the most performing at one time at all costs.

"Regardless of whether you agree with how another runs their business, a loss is always something no one wants to see. So with all my respect as a human RIP Ryan Easley. You died doing what you loved," he concluded.

PETA condemned Easley's facility, labelling it a "roadside zoo" and accusing the company of transporting tigers "around the country" while forcing animals "to perform in cruel circuses.

"It's never safe for humans to interact directly with apex predators, and it's never a surprise when a human is attacked by a stressed big cat who has been caged, whipped, and denied everything natural and important to them," stated Debbie Matzler, PETA Foundation Senior Director of Captive Wildlife.

"PETA is calling for the remaining wild animal exhibitors who aren't dead or in federal prison to get out of the business now and send the animals to accredited sanctuaries where they can finally live in peace," she concluded.

Similarly, Humane World for Animals, formerly known as the Humane Society of the United States, disclosed in a Sunday statement that one of their investigators had spent weeks undercover with ShowMe Tigers, witnessing the creatures being forced to perform tricks.

"Ryan Easley's death was a sad and preventable tragedy," the organisation stated.

Easley's preserve functions as a private facility where visitors can book tours to view tigers and witness demonstrations on how the animals are trained and cared for, according to its website. Following the tragic incident, all tours and encounters have been suspended until further notice.