Siberian tiger attacks, kills bus driver in China

The tiger pounced on driver Jin Shijun and dragged him into the forest after he got out to check on his bus, which was stuck in the snow.

The bus had the misfortune of getting stuck in the world's largest Siberian tiger breeding base in the northern province of Heilongjiang, according to the official Xinhua News Agency said.

The bus was full of tourists visiting the breeding center, and Shijun broke safety guidelines by leaving the vehicle, the report said. Park employees tried to distract the tiger with firecrackers and tranquilizer darts, but by the time they managed to get to Shijun, the driver was already dead.

The report on Monday's attack cited a spokesman at the base, which has about 1,000 Siberian tigers.

Siberian tigers are one of the world's rarest species. An estimated 300 are left in the wild, but more than 5,000 are kept on farms and wildlife parks across China.