Dutch Zookeeper Dies Days After Leopard Mauling
A woman in her fifties, who worked at the safari park for nearly 40 years, succumbed to injuries sustained during an attack while caring for two Persian leopards.
A zookeeper at Safaripark Beekse Bergen in the Netherlands has died days after being attacked by a leopard. The woman, who was in her fifties and unnamed, was injured on Saturday morning while tending to two Persian leopards in their enclosure.
Colleagues reportedly found the keeper after hearing her cry for help over her walkie-talkie. She was airlifted to a hospital with severe head and neck injuries and underwent emergency surgery, but passed away on Tuesday. The zoo confirmed her death in a statement, noting that she had worked at the park for nearly 40 years, having started at age 17.
An independent investigation will be launched to determine the circumstances of the incident. According to a park spokesperson, the leopards were being kept indoors due to inclement weather and had been behaving naturally. "They are, and remain, predators," the spokesperson stated.
The park houses two male Persian leopards, and it remains unclear which animal was involved in the attack. Martin van Hees, head of animal care at the park, confirmed that the leopard involved would not be euthanized, emphasizing that the animal could not be blamed for its actions. "In principle, humans and animals are kept separated. In this case, however, something happened differently than it should have," van Hees said, adding that the keeper entered the enclosure while the leopards also had access.
A spokesperson for the wildlife park expressed deep sadness over the incident and stated that the park is providing support to the keeper's family, colleagues, and loved ones.