56-year-old man fatally mauled by lion and tiger in Mexico

A 56-year-old man was fatally mauled Monday by a lion and a tiger kept on the roof of a small Mexico City meat packing plant.

Antonio Aguilar, the animals' caretaker, was near the big cats when the lion swatted at his legs and the tiger helped pull him into their cage, witnesses told authorities cited in the reports. City officials said they would issue a press release about the attack later Monday and refused to confirm details.

Red Cross paramedic Alberto Xochigua told the daily Reforma that Aguilar was still alive when emergency personnel arrived at the plant in the rough Mexico City neighborhood of Iztapalapa. He said Aguilar bled to death after suffering arm and leg injuries.

Mexico City animal experts shot the felines with a tranquilizer gun to recover the body, Radio Formula reported.

Authorities were questioning the cats' owner to determine whether he had permission to keep exotic animals.