Chinese man mauled to death after entering tiger enclosure

A tourist visits the tiger garden at Qinling wildlife park in Xi'an, Shaanxi province June 13, 2010. A 45-year-old Chinese man was mauled to death at Qinling Wildlife Park after he and his son wandered through the open gate of the Siberian tiger enclosure on June 13, state media said on Monday. Picture taken June 13, 2010.

BEIJING (Reuters) - A 45-year-old Chinese man was mauled to death at a wildlife park after he and his son wandered through the open gate of the Siberian tiger enclosure, state media said Monday.

The man, surnamed Zhang, was visiting the Qinling wild animal park Sunday in Xi'an, capital of northern Shaanxi province, with his 17-year-old son, Xinhua news agency said.

"The gate to the tigers' zone was open, so we walked in. Then the tigers attacked us," the son was quoted as saying.

Xinhua said five tigers attacked the two, with the father dying at the scene after being bitten in the head and neck. The son was slightly injured.

It quoted a park official as saying there were warning signs telling visitors not to enter the tiger zone.

The Siberian tiger is a critically endangered species with fewer than 500 living in the wild, most in Russia. Their population in China has been decimated by poachers, with their body parts harvested for use in traditional Chinese medicine.

(Reporting by David Stanway; Editing by Nick Macfie)