Circus worker has his arms ripped off while feeding tigers in makeshift cage

Feeding animals inside a cage may seem like a simple job but it involves its own share of risks. Wild cats are spectacular to look at but getting too close to them has proved fatal for several people.

A circus worker in Guatemala learned this the hard way when he lost his arms while trying to feed tigers in a makeshift cage. Cipriano Alvarez was trying to give a bucket of water to tigers through the metal bars when they ripped off his hands.

Locals rushed to his rescue as they threw stones at the big cats and beat them up with sticks. He was taken to a hospital where directors managed to save him following an emergency operation.

Alvarez had agreed to take care of 13 tigers two months back to feed his family. His son said that he used a metal rod to remove plates the animals were fed in.