Once Bitten??

Mauled trainer to wed with tiger as best man

A tiger trainer almost mauled to death by his big cats is to wed in the circus ring - with one of the beasts who nearly ate him as best man.

Christian Walliser, 28, was in a coma for a month after his pack of 32-stone Bengal tigers turned on him during a performance in Ausburg, Germany.

Now the trainer is to wed his gay partner Jan Birk in a cage with one of the cats as best man and three others as witnesses.

"It seemed the right place to say yes to each other," explained Christian, who has to have his hip rebuilt with titanium plates after the tigers crushed it with their powerful jaws when he tripped during a performance.

The trainer - who had to have bone fragments removed from his brain - added: "I've never held a grudge, I fell and they seized their chance."

The wedding - which will take place before a circus performance on 8 December - will be carried out by a local registrar who has agreed to join the couple in the tiger cage.