A zookeeper was tragically killed by a lion during the animal's feeding time at a Nigeria wildlife park.
According to People, trained handler Babaji Daule was walking guests to see the lion's feeding routine after hours when the incident occurred. Apparently, Daule, who was 35 years old, felt comfortable with the lion and left the safety protection gate open while proceeding with the feeding. Daule was then immediately mauled by the animal and died on the spot.
In an effort to prevent further mutilation of Daule's body, the animal was quickly put down by park personnel. Reportedly, the lion maintained its grip on Daule until it was eventually shot by park personnel.
Zookeeper Dies While Feeding a Lion After Hours in Nigeria
Daule's unfortunate death took place on Saturday, September 28th. Daule's death was reported to local police around 7:40 PM that evening. The zookeeper was said to have suffered fatal injuries to his neck.
According to a local police report, Daule was from Bauchi State and was a trained handler of a male lion. The report specified that the incident took place at the Zoological Garden in Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Abeokuta.
In a statement from the OOPL, it was reiterated that this incident fell completely outside the standard feeding routine of the park.
Reactions to the news have been interesting, to say the least. Online commentators at people.com expressed their frustration with the lion's death. Several individuals made the point that the lion died as a result of the handler's mistakes. Moreover, commenters argued that the handler's errors were a result of Daule's feeling overly comfortable with the innate danger of his job.
Such an argument certainly seems to hold some water. Daule knew the protocols that were in place for feeding the lion and knowingly disregarded them. It was almost certainly not the first time he had done such a thing. Unfortunately, the wild lion's instincts resulted in a dangerous encounter, that quickly turned fatal for the trainer.
Daule's death was an unfortunate incident all around. The park lost a trainer, and an animal, as a result of disregarded protocols.
