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Bronx Zoo Jumper Hoping To Make Some Money Off Of Crazy Stunt
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jan 11, 2013
Modified Jan 11, 2013
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Jan 11, 2013
Modified Jan 11, 2013
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In September, a man was mauled by a tiger after he jumped out of the Bronx Zoo’s Wild Asia Monorail and into a tiger den. David Villalobos, 25, who told police he jumped because he wanted "to be one with the tiger," pleaded not guilty to trespassing charges charges. But he is guilty of thoroughly enjoying his 15 minutes of fame: “This is a good thing that happened; maybe I can make some money, write a book,” Villalobos told workout buddies, according to the Post.
Villalobos, who was mauled by an 11-year-old male Amur tiger named Bachuta on September 21st, suffered a broken right shoulder, right ankle, right rib and pelvis and a collapsed lung in the incident. According to one of those friends from the Club Fit gym in Jefferson Valley, where Villalobos is doing physical therapy, he brags that the media won’t stop calling him, adding, “He said he gets calls from people all over the world.” The source added that he was pleased over the fact cops and hospital personnel referred to him as “Tarzan."
Villalobos is now a real estate agent, but his former boss at V-Note, a vegan restaurant on the Upper East Side, described him as a strict vegan with a nature-centric world view: “He was very much into his own belief system—into taking care of himself and the world,” V-Note’s general manager Chris O’Neill previously said. “Everyone takes care of Mother Earth,” O’Neill said of Villalobos’ world view.
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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