A 35-year-old zookeeper, Babaji Daule, was tragically killed by a lion at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Wildlife Park in Abeokuta, Nigeria, after failing to secure a gate during a feeding demonstration.
The incident occurred in front of horrified onlookers on Saturday, as the lion pounced on Daule, fatally mauling him.
According to a statement from the presidential library, Daule had become too comfortable with the lion and neglected to close the safety gate before feeding the animal. The zookeeper died instantly from the attack.
In a bid to prevent further mutilation of the body, park staff were forced to euthanize the lion on-site. Omolola Odutola, a local police spokesperson, confirmed that the animal was put down, and the zookeeper was pronounced dead around 7:40 a.m. on Saturday.
The incident has sparked widespread concern in Nigeria about zoo safety protocols and the management of dangerous wildlife. Many have called for stricter safety measures to prevent future tragedies in zoos housing dangerous animals.
This tragedy comes on the heels of another alarming incident in the U.S., where a woman narrowly escaped injury after reaching into a tiger enclosure at the Cohanzick Zoo in Bridgeton, New Jersey, just hours after attempting a similar stunt in the bear enclosure. Video footage of the woman’s reckless behavior has added to growing concerns over zoo security and visitor safety around wild animals.
