Animal handler Ryan Easley was killed by a tiger at the Growler Pines Tiger Preserve on Saturday.

The preserve confirmed Easley’s death in a Facebook post the following day, calling him “a passionate advocate for wildlife conservation” whose devotion to big cats “was evident in every aspect of his life.” Animal rights group PETA also said Easley had obtained the tiger from “Tiger King” personality Joe Exotic. (RELATED: ‘Tiger King’ Star Bhagavan ‘Doc’ Antle Sentenced To Jail)

The Choctaw County Sheriff said Easley was “attacked during an act with a tiger at Growler Pines and was not breathing when deputies arrived,” CNN reported Monday.

In its tribute, Growler Pines added that Easley “dedicated his life to the protection and care of these magnificent animals” and viewed the preserve as “his calling, his passion and his life’s purpose.”

Ryan Easley, who built his career exploiting tigers from Joe Exotic and Doc Antle, was killed on Sept 20. In 2017, he was caught violently whipping a tiger 31 times. PETA is urging that the surviving animals be sent to accredited sanctuaries to finally live in peace. pic.twitter.com/5kvYQtvQp5

— PETA (@peta) September 21, 2025

Growler Pines said Easley’s “courage, compassion and unwavering commitment to wildlife will never be forgotten.” The preserve called his death a “painful reminder of both the beauty and unpredictability of the natural world,” adding that Easley accepted those risks “not out of recklessness but out of love.”

The statement said the animals under his care “were not just animals to him, but beings he formed a connection with — one rooted in respect, daily care and love.”

KEENESBURG, CO – APRIL 05: One of the 39 tigers rescued in 2017 from Joe Exotic’s G.W. Exotic Animal Park yawns at the Wild Animal Sanctuary on April 5, 2020 in Keenesburg, Colorado. (Photo by Marc Piscotty/Getty Images)

Growler Pines said Easley’s “legacy will live on in the lives he touched, the animals he protected and the example he set for others who dedicate their lives to working with wildlife.” The preserve announced it is suspending all tours and encounters “until further notice.”

PETA said Easley obtained tigers from Joseph Maldonado, known as Joe Exotic, and Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, both featured in Netflix’s “Tiger King,” and boarded them at Joe Exotic’s zoo during the off-season.