Leopard mauls zookeeper, USA News (Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands): A veteran zookeeper has died after being mauled by a leopard, prompting an investigation into the horrific attack. The woman, who worked at the Beekse Bergen Safari Park in the Netherlands, sustained severe wounds to her head and neck during the attack. She was tending to two male Persian leopards in an indoor enclosure at the park, located in the southern Dutch town of Hilvarenbeek, when the incident occurred on Saturday.
The nature of the deadly attack remains unknown because no CCTV cameras were installed in the indoor area where the big cats had been moved due to poor weather. Despite the severity of her injuries, the keeper used her walkie-talkie to contact colleagues and raise the alarm. An ambulance and trauma helicopter were dispatched to the safari park at approximately 11 a.m. local time, and she was airlifted to a hospital in a critical state. However, her condition quickly deteriorated the following day.
Beekse Bergen park announced the death of the woman, whose identity has not been disclosed under Dutch privacy laws, on Sunday. The keeper first joined Beekse Bergen at the age of 17 and dedicated four decades to the safari park, working there on and off throughout her career.
In a joint statement issued with the woman’s family, the park said that her passing has deeply affected everyone, with hearts going out to her family, friends, and loved ones, while their primary focus remains on supporting them and her colleagues. Beekse Bergen confirmed it will launch an independent investigation to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Investigation and Animal Status
The independent investigation will determine why the keeper was inside the enclosure with the big cats, as zoo staff are ordinarily prohibited from sharing space with predators. However, the park has explicitly ruled out euthanising the two leopards involved. A spokesman told Dutch broadcaster Omroep Brabant that the animals were displaying natural behavior, stating that they are, and remain, predators.
Additionally, Beekse Bergen announced plans to establish a memorial site where both visitors and staff can leave tributes and messages of condolence. The tragic incident follows another fatal animal attack earlier this month at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, where a man died after climbing into an Amur tiger enclosure.
