The National Zoological Park in New Delhi, India, is home to more than 1,300 animals, including bears, snakes, lions, and several species of big cats. Thousands of visitors pass through its gates every year to see the animals from behind what should be secure barriers.But on September 23, 2014, a visit to the zoo turned into a horrifying scene when a 20 year old man named Maqsood Khan ended up inside the enclosure of a white tiger. What happened next unfolded in front of a crowd that could do little more than watch.The incident raised immediate questions about the zoo’s safety measures and whether staff were prepared to respond quickly enough when a visitor entered a dangerous animal enclosure.Maqsood had reportedly been warned by a security guard twice after climbing over a fence and leaning toward the moat to get a closer look at the tiger. Despite those warnings, he eventually went over the barrier and fell approximately 15 feet (4.6 meters) into the enclosure below.For a few moments, the situation appeared less dangerous than it actually was. The white tiger, named Vijay, approached Maqsood but did not immediately attack him. Instead, the animal appeared curious as the man remained on the ground inside its territory.The crowd gathered around the enclosure and began shouting for security. Maqsood could be seen pleading for help while visitors desperately looked for a way to get him out.The first security guard to reach the area reportedly carried only a baton. Tranquilizer guns were available at the zoo, but their use was restricted to personnel trained to handle them, meaning they could not simply be handed to the first guard who arrived.As the crowd watched, some people began trying to scare the tiger away. Visitors screamed at Vijay, while others reportedly threw rocks and water bottles into the enclosure.That changed the animal’s behavior.The tiger became increasingly agitated as the noise and objects continued to come toward it. Vijay eventually attacked Maqsood, severely injuring him before grabbing him by the neck and dragging him away.Roughly 15 minutes after Maqsood fell into the enclosure, zoo officials reached the area with the equipment needed to intervene. By then, it was too late. The tiger had killed Maqsood and was dragging his body away from the crowd.The zoo director later explained that tranquilizer guns were available, but organizing them and getting them to the enclosure took time. He also claimed that Maqsood had deliberately jumped into the moat rather than accidentally falling.The incident sparked criticism over the zoo’s emergency response and whether more could have been done to protect visitors and intervene sooner. The earlier incident involving a tiger crossing a 12 foot (3.7 meter) barrier had also raised concerns about how prepared the facility was for unexpected situations.For the people watching that day, the tragedy demonstrated how quickly a seemingly calm encounter with a wild animal can become deadly. It also raised a difficult question: if you ever found yourself face to face with a tiger, would there be anything you could do to survive?