A zookeeper in Nigeria was mauled to loss of life by a lion after he did not safe the locks on its enclosure when he went to feed it. According to the BBC, the sufferer, recognized as a 35-year-old man named Babaji Daule, labored on the Presidential Library Wildlife Park, owned by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta. He was bitten within the neck on Saturday after agreeing to take visitors into the enclosure though they arrived after hours on the wildlife park.
“The zookeeper, apparently, feeling snug with the animal, left the security safety gate open and proceeded to feed the animal. He was mauled by the animal and died on the spot,” the park administration mentioned in a press release, per the outlet.
Separately, native police spokesperson Omolola Odutola mentioned that the “lion inflicted critical deadly accidents to the person’s neck”. He mentioned that the lion was shot useless “to launch its grip on the handler”.
“It is vital to state that this exercise fell utterly outdoors the usual feeding routine of the park,” the wildlife park pressured in its assertion.
The police described the 35-year-old as a educated lion handler. It will not be clear if Mr Daule had permission to take the visitors into the closure when it was presupposed to be closed. Either means, he “carelessly uncared for to safe the locks and barricade the lion’s enclosure earlier than approaching the cage to feed the animal,” Mr Odutola mentioned.
“This negligence allowed the lion to flee and assault the handler, leading to deadly accidents to the handler’s neck and eventual loss of life. The wild lion was shot to launch its grip on the handler,” he added.
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The administration of the wildlife park expressed condolences to the deceased’s household, and reassured the general public of its dedication to making sure the security of its workers, guests, and the animals themselves, the New York Post reported.
Meanwhile, this incident comes lower than a 12 months after one other zookeeper was attacked and killed by a lion on the Obafemi Awolowo University, in Nigeria. Olabode Olawuyi was a veterinary technologist who had been caring for the lions since they have been born on campus about 9 years in the past. Tragically, in February, one of many male lions killed the person when he was feeding them. His colleagues tried to avoid wasting him however by the point they may do something, one of many lions had already fatally wounded him, the college mentioned in a press release.