'Tiger King' Star Joe Exotic's Associate Dies After Being Mauled by Tiger

An associate of "Tiger King" star Joe Exotic was mauled by ... you guessed it ... a tiger while performing an animal show in Oklahoma -- and he died a brutal death, TMZ has learned.

Ryan Easley was handling the tiger during the Saturday show at the Growler Pines Tiger Preserve in Hugo, Choctaw County Sheriff Terry Park tells TMZ.

Park says Easley was suddenly set upon by the tiger, which grabbed him around his neck and shoulder area, and sank its teeth into him before violently shaking him.

Paramedics and deputies responded to the scene after receiving a call around 2 PM for a tiger that attacked its handler, Park tells us, adding Easley was pronounced dead a short time later.

We're told the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is investigating and will make the final decision as to the fate of the tiger and the preserve.

For the time being, Park says the tiger has been put in a single cage and will not be allowed out pending the outcome of the probe.

The Growler Pines Tiger Preserve announced Ryan's death on social media Sunday, remembering him as a "passionate advocate for wildlife conservation," who loved Big Cats.

What's more, Sheriff Park confirmed some of the animals under Ryan's care belonged to Joe Exotic, and Ryan somehow acquired them when Joe went to prison.

Joe is serving a 21-year prison sentence after he was convicted of orchestrating a botched murder-for-hire plot against animal activist Carole Baskin. Joe mourned Easley's death in an X post, sending his condolences to Ryan's family.