Zookeeper in Crimea mauled to death by 3 lions while cleaning enclosure

Senior zookeeper in Crimea dead after mauling by 3 lions

A tragedy occurred in Crimea when a female zookeeper was mauled by three lions.

The deceased was an experienced employee of 17 years at the Taigan Wildlife Park, which is reportedly home to approximately 60 lions.

CBS News reported that the incident occurred on Wednesday (16 Oct).

That fateful day, the victim had stepped into a lion enclosure to clean one of its cages.

However, she had forgotten to shut the bolt of the door between two rooms of the enclosure, resulting in the mauling.

Body had been torn apart when discovered

Zoo owner Oleg Zubkov confirmed that the victim was identified as Leokadia Perevalova, the zoo’s chief administrator and a senior employee.

“It is still unclear why such a situation occurred, as the animals could not have done such a thing on their own, and apparently there were no people around,” he remarked.

Unfortunately, employees discovered her body too late and could not assist because she was already “torn to pieces”.

The authorities are investigating the incident as a case of workplace negligence.

Similar incident happened in 2018

In 2018, a similar incident occurred at the Taigan Wildlife Park when a female tourist was severely injured after taking a photo with a lion.

The zoo explained that the tourist had agreed to a disclaimer which stated the risks involved in certain activities.

However, after drinking alcohol, the tourist wanted to touch a lion, prompting the lion to attack.

As a result, the zoo refused to provide compensation, as reported by Sin Chew Daily News.

Also read: Panda attacks zookeeper in China, chases & bites her in front of visitors

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Featured image adapted from Sin Chew Daily News and Russinfo.