New York, NY (CNN) -- Police say a man who leapt into a tiger's den at the Bronx Zoo wanted quote- "to be one" with the animal.

The 25-year-old man was charged with trespassing for jumping out of a monorail car into the enclosure on Friday. He suffered a broken right shoulder, broken rib, collapsed lung, broken ankle, broken pelvis and puncture wounds.

Police say most of those injuries were caused by jumping from the rail car.

"He was saying that it was not a suicide attempt, he wanted to be one with the tiger," New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. "It appears that he is fascinated with tigers. He took the monorail about a month and a half ago with his girlfriend. He was seriously injured of course, but the injuries appear to be mostly from the fall. It was about a 17-foot fall from the monorail."

Zoo officials say rescuers used a fire extinguisher to separate the man and the animal. They say the tiger did nothing wrong and could have easily killed the man in a matter of minutes.

CNN