Man Attacked By Tiger

A tiger at an animal refuge attacked the husband of the compound's owner Friday, seriously injuring the man and bringing renewed scrutiny to the facility that has been the target of state efforts to close since 1999.

Jan Marasek, 70, was mauled as he fed the tigers at the Tigers Only Preservation Society. He was in critical condition Saturday at the Jersey Shore Medical Center's surgical intensive care unit, according to Marge Lovallo, a patient information officer at the Neptune hospital.

Police said Marasek was bitten on his upper left arm and suffered head injuries. The arm was not severed.

Police, who were notified at 3:15 p.m., were initially concerned one of the big cats had escaped, but state wildlife officials determined the compound's 24 tigers were all accounted for.

The compound consists of three large pens -- fashioned from 17-foot chain-linked fences -- that are connected by a series of caged tunnels and trailers.

Marasek's wife, Joan Byron-Marasek, opened the compound in 1976 with five tiger cubs. She has been under orders to close the facility after a 430-pound Bengal tiger was found roaming the nearby woods in January 1999. The cat was shot and killed by authorities.

The state never proved the tiger was hers, but wildlife officials subsequently revoked her permit to keep the cats and have been seeking court approval of a plan to relocate the tigers to a Texas refuge.

Byron-Marasek has continued to oppose that plan. A judge in Toms River was expected to rule on it this month, but Byron-Marasek has sought a delay -- one of several in the dispute -- by seeking to reopen testimony about the suitability of the Texas facility.

Superior Court Judge Eugene D. Serpentelli was notified of Friday's attack and has set an Oct. 25 hearing on Byron-Marasek's request. Serpentelli has criticized Byron-Marasek over previous delays and firing her attorneys at crucial points. She is on her eighth attorney.

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