A zookeeper has been killed by a lion at a wildlife park in Nigeria after failing to secure the safety locks on the animal’s enclosure during feeding time, multiple news outlets report.
On the evening of Saturday, Sept. 28, trained handler Babaji Daule, 35, was fatally mauled at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Wildlife Park in Abeokuta, per the BBC and local newspapers the Daily Post Nigeria, the Daily Independent and the Premium Times.
According to the BBC, OOPL confirmed the incident occurred while Daule, from Bauchi, was taking guests to see the lion’s feeding routine after hours.
“The zookeeper, apparently, feeling comfortable with the animal, left the safety protection gate open and proceeded to feed the animal. He was mauled by the animal and died on the spot,” OOPL said in a statement, the BBC reported.
“To prevent further mutilation of the body, the animal was put down immediately by personnel of the park,” it added.
“It is important to state that this activity fell completely outside the standard feeding routine of the park,” OOPL added in a statement, according to the Daily Post Nigeria.
Local police spokesperson Omolola Odutola confirmed the attack to reporters, according to the outlet, stating that the victim suffered “fatal injuries” to his neck.
“On September 28, 2024, at about 7:40 hrs [p.m. local time] the Chief Security Officer of Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library informed the divisional police officer that a 35-year-old man named Babaji Daule from Bauchi State, who is a trained handler of a male lion at the Zoological Garden in OOPL Abeokuta, tragically lost his life,” the police statement read, per the Premium Times.
According to the paper, the victim’s body “was removed and taken to the mortuary at Ijaye General Hospital, while the wild lion was shot to release its grip on the handler,” police stated.