A ZOO caretaker was tragically mauled to death by two white tiger cubs in southern India - a week after he took on the temporary role.

Anjaneya, known as Anji, reportedly went into the animal's enclosure to feed them their evening meal, before the surprise attack at Bannerghatta Biological Park, Bangalore.

2 Anji, 42, was killed by a white tiger as he went to feed it at Bannerghatta Biological Park in Bangalore Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

The 42-year-old was married with two children, and had no experience in handling animals, the Metro reports.

Filling in for a senior guard, Anji went into the tiger enclosure at around 7pm on Saturday.

But he did not realise the tigers moved into the safari area of the enclosure, according to an official said.

Suddenly, one of the tigers jumped and pounced on Anji, biting his neck, before dragging him into the safari area. The other cub later joined in.

2 A white tiger at the biological park where Anji was tragically killed on Saturday evening Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

Santosh Kumar, the park's boss reportedly said the tigers were eventually driven off by park stuff, but the victim was dead.

He added: "The felines did not allow the caretaker to retrieve Anji's body from the spot and were guarding it, which delayed in rushing him to a nearby hospital."

This tragic incident comes two years after a keeper was injured by lions in the same park, according to the Press Trust of India.

The large biological park houses 1,941 animals, including Bengal tigers, lions and leopards, its website claims.

MOST READ NEWS Live Blog LAST DAYS OF SUMMER Indian Summer to be BLOWN AWAY by 65mph winds following mini-heatwave PRICE IS RIGHT Price, convenience & brand is more important than 'going green' for shoppers Live Blog COVID UPDATE Strict £10,000 fine for people refusing to self-isolate as new infections rise Live Blog OUT OF IT Amal Clooney QUITS UK government job in fury at Boris' controversial Brexit bill GOOD FROM THE TREES How many SAS 'Ghost Soldiers' can YOU see in this Arctic scene? 'SLOW DOWN' UK 'can't afford harsh lockdown' as 'no evidence' of 2nd wave, warns professor 'CAVALRY IS COMING' Hancock says 'still hope' of covid jab this year - or 'early' next year Breaking TEEN KILLED Girl, 14, hit by a car and killed in St Helens as two teenagers are arrested STORM WARNING Texas and Louisiana braced for ANOTHER hurricane as Tropical Storm Beta hits COVID DENIER Anti-mask protest leader is suspended nurse who compared lockdown to Holocaust

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.