Who Was Ryan Easley? What To Know About The Late Tiger Trainer

Entertainment turned into tragedy in September 2025, when Ryan Easley was mauled to death by one of his big cats in front of numerous spectators.

The tiger trainer had made a name for himself within the wildlife world for taking part in public shows with his cats -- before all of it changed after he was suddenly killed by one of the animals present at his show.

We're going to take a look at how he rose to prominence as a trainer and how his death resulted in various reactions from different groups and individuals.

Ryan was the operator of Growler Pines Tiger Preserve, which was located in Hugo, Oklahoma, according to Oklahoma Living Magazine.

He'd had prior experience working with animals, as his father was reportedly a zookeeper and worked with elephants. He'd also landed an apprenticeship with a tiger trainer after visiting a circus at the age of 21.

Ryan's mentor retired in 2011, and he started a traveling act called ShowMe Tigers, where he would show off the talents of several trained tigers.

He opened Growler Pines after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic which meant traveling with his act wouldn't be viable. The trainer was also associated with Joe "Exotic" Maldonado, from whom he'd acquired several tigers, according to the New York Times.

Ryan was fatally mauled during a show at Growler Pines on September 20, and the incident took place while he was performing with a large tiger in a cage, according to People.

The trainer was apparently finishing up a big cat show when he was unexpectedly bitten and shaken around by the tiger. His wife and daughter were in attendance at the show.

Choctaw County Sheriff Terry Park spoke to the Associated Press regarding the incident and claimed Ryan had worked with the tiger for "quite some time" prior to the mauling.

The trainer wasn't breathing when deputies arrived at the scene to begin investigating the mauling, and all tours at Growler Pines were subsequently suspended.

Ryan's death has resulted in various public reactions, including from Maldonado, who shared a statement on Instagram to express the trainer died doing what he "loved" to do, according to The Guardian.

The media figure, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison in January 2020, added the late trainer had "all my respect as a human."

However, PETA's senior director of captive wildlife, Debbie Metzler, claimed the tigers housed at Growler Pines utilized "aggression to respond to a stressor," which she described as a "completely natural" reaction for big cats.