The troubled tiger lover, who was nearly killed after jumping into the big cats’ den at the Bronx Zoo, pleaded guilty Tuesday to trespassing.
David Villalobos jumped off a monorail and scaled a 16-foot fence to get into the tiger’s home on Sept. 21, 2012.Villalobos, 26, explained his near-deadly antics, saying he wanted to be “one with the tiger.”
“He’s not a lunatic,” mom Fernanda Villalobos said Wednesday. “He’s somebody’s brother. He’s somebody’s son. This could happen to anyone.”
David Villalobos pleaded guilty to a trespassing violation, which is less than a misdemeanor. The fanatical feline lover was released on conditional discharge, agreeing to seek psychological counseling for the next year, officials said.
Villalobos used up at least one of his nine lives after a 400-pound Siberian tiger, named Bachuta, used him as a chew toy, puncturing a lung, and breaking his arm and ankle.
Fast-acting zoo employees sprayed the animal with a fire extinguisher and were able to rescue Villalobos from greater harm.
Villalobos and his family are grateful for the work of zoo employees, first responders and doctors who patched him up, Fernanda Villalobos said.
The cat lover is still walking with a limp but is otherwise in good shape, according to his mom. He might go back to school and pursue a career in holistic and alternative medicine.
“David has been through a lot,” Fernanda Villalobos said. “He’s not crazy. He’s smart and he’s a loving guy.”