WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT. A man who was devoured by three lions in an apparent misguided bid to ‘impress his girlfriend’ reportedly uttered three final words before the beasts pounced
Uzbekistan: Zoo guard eaten alive after entering lion’s cage
A zookeeper who tragically died in an apparent bid to “impress his girlfriend” uttered three harrowing final words before being devoured by a trio of lions.
In horrifying footage, the man, whose name is F Iriskulov, can be seen trying to recapture three lions which had escaped into a courtyard. The clip was taken during Iriskulov’s night shift at Lion Park, a private zoo, in Parkent, Uzbekistan, and shows his terrifying final moments.
The beginning of the sickening video sees the lions looking fairly relaxed as they watch Iriskulov approach, with no indication of the horrors about to unfold. Then suddenly, the beasts are seen springing up, startling Iriskulov, who takes a step back.
At this point, the wild animals don’t attack, and Iriskulov can be heard calling out the name of one of them, ‘Simba’, over and over again, telling the predator: “Simba, be quiet”.
It’s believed the lions escaped into the courtyard after a door to their enclosure was left unlocked. It was then that the zookeeper tried to recapture them, capturing footage that he’d intended to give to his girlfriend. Just two minutes after unlocking the courtyard door, however, the lions pounced.
Iriskulov’s screams can be heard as the camera continues to roll, and the animals begin to bite. He continued to order them: “Be quiet, be quiet.” It’s then that the footage cuts out. According to reports, the guard was “partially consumed” by the lions, with his remains discovered by other zoo workers four hours after the nightmarish attack. Two of the lions were tranquilised, while the other was shot dead. An official statement reads: “The lions killed him and partially consumed his body.”
According to a statement issued by regional police: “Today, December 17, three lions kept in a single cage at the Lion Park private zoo, located in the Parkent district of Tashkent Region, escaped into the zoo’s courtyard. […] The lions entered the yard, attacking and injuring a 44-year-old keeper born in 1980. Unfortunately, the keeper later died from his injuries.”
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