IN NETHERLANDS: 2 leopards maul longtime zookeeper to death

International

AFTER 40 years of working with animals, a veteran zookeeper’s life ended following a leopard attack at a safari park in the Netherlands.

The woman was mauled on Saturday while caring for two Persian leopards inside an indoor enclosure at Beekse Bergen safari park in the southern Netherlands. She suffered injuries to her head and neck and underwent emergency surgery but died days later, the park confirmed on Tuesday.

The keeper began her career at the park when she was 17 and worked there on-and-off for four decades, according to Beekse Bergen.

“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 park said in a statement, as quoted by the BBC.

The circumstances surrounding the attack remain unclear.

The two leopards had been moved indoors because of bad weather, but the enclosure had no CCTV cameras to record what happened.

NL Times reported that despite her injuries, the keeper managed to alert her colleagues using a walkie-talkie. She was subsequently airlifted to hospital in critical condition.

Beekse Bergen said an independent investigation would be launched to establish the circumstances of the incident.

A spokesperson for Beekse Bergen told local broadcaster Omroep Brabant that the leopards had exhibited natural behaviour and would not be euthanized, noting that predatory instincts are part of their nature.

The animals are usually kept separate from staff, according to reports.

The safari park said it would establish a memorial area where visitors and employees could pay their respects and leave messages of condolence.(MyTVCebu)