A veteran zookeeper was fatally mauled by lions on Wednesday morning at Bangkok's Safari World Zoo in an incident that was also witnessed by tourists. The victim, 58-year-old Jian Rangkharasamee, had worked with lions and tigers for nearly two decades and was nearing retirement.
According to Thai Examiner, the attack occurred in the zoo's drive-through safari section during a routine feeding. Officials report that Rangkharasamee exited his vehicle within the lion enclosure, leaving the door open. One lion attacked him from behind, and several others from the pride quickly joined. The attack, which lasted 15 minutes, happened in front of horrified zoo visitors.
A fellow zookeeper managed to take Rangkharasamee to a hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival due to catastrophic injuries, including a broken neck and severe wounds to his chest and leg.
The park was shut after the incident but videos of the terrifying attack quickly spread online. The police have launched an investigation.
The victim's wife, Ratanaporn Jitpakdee, said she was shocked by the loss of her husband. She said that he was the family breadwinner and he loved his job.
Safari World Public Issues Statement
In a Facebook post, Safari World Bangkok said, "Following the news of the accident involving a staff member at the lion zone at the open zoo, Safari World Public Company Limited would like to inform you that the staff member who was working on the job was seriously injured and later died. The company would like to express its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased and will provide the best possible care and support to the family."
The lion and all other animals are in normal condition and are being closely monitored by a team of experts, it added.
The company claimed that in over 40 years, no incident like this has ever occurred before, adding that it places the highest importance on the safety of all tourists and employees.
"The company will urgently investigate and strengthen safety measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring again," the statement added.
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