Nigerian zookeeper mauled to death by lion after leaving security gate open while feeding

A zookeeper in Nigeria was mauled to death by a lion after he failed to secure the locks on his enclosure while trying to feed it. According to the BBCThe victim, identified as a 35-year-old man named Babaji Daule, worked at the Presidential Library Wildlife Park owned by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta. He was bitten on the neck on Saturday after agreeing to take guests into the enclosure even though they arrived at the wildlife park after closing time.

“The zookeeper apparently felt comfortable with the animal, left the safety gate open and began feeding the animal. He was mauled by the animal and died on the spot,” park management said in a statement, according to the outlet.

Separately, local police spokesman Omolola Odutola said the “lion inflicted serious fatal injuries on the man’s neck.” He said the lion was shot “to get rid of the handler’s grip.”

“It is important to note that this activity was completely outside the park’s standard feeding routine,” the wildlife park emphasized in its statement.

Police described the 35-year-old as a trained lion handler. It is not clear whether Mr. Daule had permission to take the guests inside when it was supposed to close. Either way, he “negligently failed to secure the locks and barricade the lion enclosure before approaching the cage to feed the animal,” Mr Odutola said.

“This negligence allowed the lion to escape and attack the handler, resulting in fatal injuries to the handler’s neck and eventual death. The wild lion was shot to let the handler go,” he added.

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The management of the wildlife park expressed its condolences to the family of the deceased and assured the public of its commitment to the safety of its employees, visitors and the animals themselves New York Post reported.

Meanwhile, this incident comes less than a year after another zookeeper at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria was attacked and killed by a lion. Olabode Olawuyi was a veterinary technologist who had been caring for the lions since their birth on campus about nine years ago. Tragically, one of the male lions killed the man as he was feeding them in February. His colleagues tried to save him, but by the time they could do anything, one of the lions had already fatally injured him, the university said in a statement.