Animal euthanized

Lion attacked zookeeper during feeding – dead!

A lion in Nigeria has killed a zookeeper. The male animal attacked the man in the enclosure on Monday during feeding for an unclear reason and fatally injured him, according to the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife in south-western Nigeria. The veterinary technician had managed the zoo at the university for a decade and had cared for the lion since it was born nine years ago.

"The other staff who were at the scene did everything in their power to save their boss, but the wild cat had already caused serious injuries," a university spokesperson added. "The aggressive lion was euthanized." The university ordered an investigation into the incident.

In the nearby city of Ibadan, a lion killed a man in 1991 after he jumped into the lion cage at the university's zoological garden. The man had tried to re-enact the biblical story of Daniel, who was thrown into a lion's den and survived.