Local police spokesperson Omolola Odutola said the “lion inflicted serious fatal injuries to the man’s neck.” It was later shot dead “to release its grip on the handler,” he added.
A zookeeper in Nigeria was mauled to death by a lion after he failed to secure the locks on its enclosure when he went to feed it.
BBC reports that the victim, a 35-year-old man identified as Babaji Daule, was working in the Presidential Library Wildlife Park, which is owned by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, in Abeokuta.
He was bitten in the neck on Saturday after agreeing to take guests into the enclosure even though they came after hours into the wildlife park.
The zookeeper, seemingly comfortable with the animal, left the safety protection gate open and went ahead to feed the animal. He was mauled by the animal and died on the spot,” the management of the park said in a statement, per the outlet.
In a separate statement, local police spokesperson Omolola Odutola said: “The lion inflicted serious fatal injuries to the neck of the man.” He added that the lion was shot dead “to release its grip on the handler.”
“It is important to state that this activity fell completely outside the standard feeding routine of the park,” the wildlife park insisted.
The police described the 35-year-old as a trained lion handler. It is still being determined whether Mr Daule had permission to take the guests into the closure when it was supposed to be closed.
Whichever, he “carelessly neglected to secure the locks and barricade the lion’s enclosure before approaching the cage to feed the animal,” Mr Odutola said.
