A worker died at Taigan Park in Belogorsk, about 22 miles east of the Crimean capital Simferopol, after forgetting to lock an internal door that would have separated her from lions
A worker at a wildlife park in Crimea has died after she was attacked by lions, officials said.
The death occurred when the worker went into a cage at the Taigan park to clean it, according to the Russian Investigative Committee’s office in the Russia-annexed peninsula. The cage held three lions, but the worker did not lock an internal door that would have separated her from them, the committee said in a statement.
The Taigan Park is in Belogorsk, about 22 miles east of the Crimean capital Simferopol. Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, but most of the world does not recognise it as Russian territory.
According to the park’s website, it holds about 60 lions in its more than 75 acres. About 0.6 miles of elevated walkways allow visitors to observe lions roaming freely.
It comes just weeks after a zookeeper was mauled to death by a lion after he left a gate open while feeding the animal in front of visitors. Lion handler Babaji Daule, 35, was attacked while he was working at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Wildlife Park in Abeokuta, Nigeria. The zoo reportedly said Babaji had been demonstrating the lion’s feeding routine at the end of September when the lion attacked him.
A statement from the presidential library said: “The zookeeper, apparently, feeling comfortable with the animal, left the safety protection gate open and proceeded to feed the animal. He was mauled by the animal and died on the spot.
“To prevent further mutilation of the body, the animal was put down immediately by personnel of the park,” reported the BBC. Local police spokesperson Omolola Odutola said the lion was put down in order to “prevent further mutilation of the body.”
According to its website, the presidential library Wildlife Park houses more than 140 indigenous and exotic animals. The Wildlife Park was founded to encourage wildlife conservation as well as to help educate the general public and promote tourism.
