Safari Park Official in Crimea Says Lion Kills Worker as She Cleans Cages

World

Investigators in Crimea said a zookeeper was killed by a group of lions at a big-cat park in Europe after a door in their enclosure was inadvertently left open.

The attack took place at the Taigan safari park located on the Crimean peninsula, which is under Russian control, and is known as one of the biggest lion breeding sites in Europe, housing approximately 60 of these animals.

The Moscow-appointed Investigative Committee of Crimea and Sevastopol announced that they have launched a criminal investigation into the employee’s death at the Taigan lion park due to a predator attack.

Investigators stated that the employee, who had been at the park for nearly 17 years, passed away after not securing the door between two enclosure rooms while cleaning a cage with three lions.

The owner of the park, Oleg Zubkov, recognized the victim as Leokadia Perevalova, the chief zookeeper, labeling the situation as a “fatal” error.

“In a statement on his blog, he expressed confusion over the unclear circumstances of how and why this occurred, as the animals were incapable of such actions without people present.”

“The workers who found the body were unable to help anymore, as she had been ripped apart,” he commented.

On his Telegram channel, Zubkov commended Perevalova for being an important employee and the essence of their park, noting that forgetfulness was a contributing factor.

I was unable to assist when I got there, sadly. He said they are top predators and do not tolerate mistakes.

Investigators stated that a person’s death due to workplace negligence has led to the opening of a criminal case.

The expansive 70-acre park, which used to be a military base, became accessible to the public in 2012. As per the park’s website, approximately 1 kilometer of raised footpaths enable guests to see lions moving around without constraint.

The zoo was shut down for one month in December 2019 due to allegations that Zubkov had fed the animals expired food, which he denied.

He claimed that the Russian-backed leaders in Crimea purposely halted his projects and attempted to financially ruin his business following their takeover in 2014.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, although it is acknowledged globally as belonging to Ukraine.

Lethal lion incidents in zoos are exceedingly uncommon. During a routine cleaning at a North Carolina conservatory in 2018, a lion broke out of its enclosure and fatally attacked a recent college graduate. It was reported to authorities that the lion managed to get into the same area as 22-year-old Alex Black due to a malfunction with a large ball blocking the pen from closing.

In 2013, a 24-year-old volunteer at a Central California animal park was fatally attacked by a lion that had escaped from a feeding cage while she was cleaning its enclosure area.

Post Photo by Francesco on Unsplash

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Tags: crimia, lion, zookeeper
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