Tragedy! Giant Lion Kills Zookeeper in Nigerian University

It was a Monday to forget at a Nigerian university after a nine-year old lion pounced on a zookeeper who has been taking care of him since birth, fatally injured and later killed him. The tragic incident happened while the zookeeper was feeding the wild cat. Kamil Sodiq completes the report from Nigeria…

Tragedy struck on Monday at the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Southwest Nigeria, as a zookeeper was fatally attacked and killed by a lion he has been nursing for several years.

The Public Relations Officer of the school, Abiodun Olarewaju, who confirmed the sad incident, said the deceased was attacked while feeding the nine-year-old lion in its den.

He, however, announced that the lion had been euthanized following the unfortunate event that took the life of Mr Olabode Olawoyi.

The statement said Mr Olabode Olawuyi, a Veterinary Technologist, who has been in charge of the Zoological garden for over a decade, was attacked on Monday afternoon, by a 9-year-old male lion when he was feeding them in their den at the Zoological garden of the University.

He added that the other members of staff who were at the scene of the incident did everything within their power to rescue their boss, but the wild cat had already caused severe fatalities.

Reports say the zookeeper has been taking care of the lions since they were born on campus about 9 years ago, but tragically, the male lion killed the man who had been feeding them.

Meanwhile, the management of the university has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the incident.