Iran: lioness kills keeper before escape

A lioness mauled and killed an Iranian zookeeper who was feeding her yesterday. According to the state-run IRNA, the lioness is said to have then escaped from its enclosure with its mate and prowled around for several hours within the zoo in the city of Arak, south of Tehran.

The victim was identified only by his family name of Efsandani. He was apparently putting meat through a feeding window at the time of the attack.

“The lioness, which has been in the zoo for several years, managed to open a door of the cage, get out and then attack the 40-year-old keeper who had just brought food,” a zoo employee told state broadcaster IRIB.

The pair of big cats were eventually recaptured after a joint effort by the police, firefighters and local government officials.

The attack is being investigated by the authorities. Although rare in Iran, such incidents are usually due to poor safety protocols.

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