VARYSBURG, N.Y. – The owner of an exotic-animal park in New York has been trampled to death by an antelope that got out of its pen.
The Wyoming County sheriff's office says 81-year-old Hans Boxler Sr. was feeding animals Monday when he was trampled by a nilgai antelope. Relatives found the animal near its pen with the door open.
The nilgai antelope is native to India and is the largest Asian antelope.
Boxler's 60-acre Hidden Valley Animal Adventure in Varysburg offers daily safari tours to view animals such as camels, zebras and wildebeest.
A family statement says the death was a shock because Boxler understood the nature of his animals and followed a daily routine.
Boxler was a dairy farmer for over 60 years. He started the wild-animal park in 2002.
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