Lion kills handler at wild life park

The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed the death of a 35-year-old zookeeper at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Wildlife Park in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, Babaji Daule, following attack by a lion.

Penpushing reports that the Command Public Relations Officer Omolola Odutola, made this known in a terse statement adding that the incident occurred at about 7:40 p.m. on Saturday reported at a divisional police station, and was later escalated to the state command office.

“On September 28, 2024, at about 7:40 hrs 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 statement reads.

Penpushing further reports that Odutola explained that the lion handler carelessly neglected to secure the locks and barricade the of lion’s enclosure before approaching the cage to feed the animal,adding that the negligence allowed the lion to escape and attack

“It was discovered that the lion handler carelessly neglected to secure the locks and barricade the of lion’s enclosure before approaching the cage to feed the animal. This negligence allowed the lion to escape and attack the handler, resulting in fatal injuries to the handler’s neck and eventual death’, she wrote

Penpushing also reports that the police spokesperson said as at the time of filing this report the victim’s body had been removed and taken to the mortuary at State General Hospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta while the wild lion was shot to release its grip on the handler.

The management of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Wildlife Park in a statement said the zoo keeper had volunteered to take some guests who had visited the facility after official hour, but was reportedly careless in handling the lion’s cage.

‘The zookeeper, at the heeding of some guests who came after the closing time of the park, agreed to take the guests to demonstrate the feeding routine of the lion in its inner enclosure. 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. To prevent further mutilation of the body, the animal was put down immediately by personnel of the park’, the statement stated

Penpushing reports that the management of the facility, however, described the conduct of the zookeeper as below the standard of its practice, noting that the zoo keeper fell completely out of the standard feeding routine of the park.

“It is important to state that this activity (by the zookeeper) fell completely out of the standard feeding routine of the park. Investigations have begun, and the matter has since been reported to the police for their investigation’, the management wrote

Penpushing further reports that the management commiserated with the family of the deceased, as it assured the public that the park is committed to the highest standard of safety and protection both for visiting members of the public, wildlife staff and for the Wildlife itself.

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