An experienced zookeeper in the Netherlands has died after being mauled by a leopard at a safari park where she had worked for about 40 years.
The woman was attending to two Persian leopards in an indoor enclosure at Beekse Bergen safari park on Saturday when the attack occurred.
She suffered serious injuries to her head and neck and underwent emergency surgery before dying on Tuesday.
The park, located in the southern Netherlands, confirmed her death in a statement, describing her loss as devastating to staff members.
According to the management, she started her career at the facility at the age of 17 and worked there intermittently over four decades.
“Her passing has deeply affected us all, and our hearts go out to her family, friends, and loved ones. At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting her family and her colleagues,” the statement added.
The circumstances surrounding the attack remain unclear, as there are no CCTV cameras inside the enclosure.
The two leopards, which are usually kept away from staff, had been moved indoors because of bad weather.
Local media reports said the zookeeper managed to alert her colleagues through her walkie-talkie despite her injuries. She was subsequently airlifted to a hospital in critical condition.
A spokesperson for the park told local media outlet Omroep Brabant that the animals had behaved naturally and would not be euthanised following the incident.
“They are, and remain, predators.”
Beekse Bergen said it would establish a memorial area where visitors and employees could pay their respects and leave messages of condolence.
The park also announced plans for an independent investigation into the circumstances of the attack.
