The young man who was killed by a white tiger at the Delhi zoo on Tuesday was stopped by guards twice before he jumped into the enclosure, zoo officials said today.

The zoo has blamed the man for the mishap yesterday.

"The man is responsible for this entire incident. He has been a mental patient for four years," said Riyaz Ahmed Khan, zoo spokesperson.

The man, who has been identified as Maqsood Khan, 20, fell into a dry moat in the tiger enclosure yesterday and was mauled to death in 10 minutes.

The animal first circled the man and did nothing and struck only after eyewitnesses started shouting and throwing stones at it. 

It then grabbed Maqsood around by the scruff of his neck and dragged him away to a corner of the enclosure.

Khan said a security guard stopped Maqsood from jumping in twice, but he did it anyway when the man's attention was on other visitors.

In an image captured by witnesses, he is seen cowering before the animal, his hands folded, after he fell into the moat.

Witnesses had said he lost his balance while trying to get a closer look.

Maqsood stays in a west Delhi area with his parents and brother, who admit that he was mentally unwell.

The tiger, called Vijay, is seven, and weighs over 200 kg and has never attacked anyone before, said zoo officials.

Zoo officials said earlier, someone had entered a lion cage but escaped unharmed as the "lion wasn't in the mood."