Leopard mauls zookeeper, USA News (Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands): A veteran zookeeper has died following a fatal attack by a leopard at the Beekse Bergen Safari Park in the southern Dutch town of Hilvarenbeek. The female employee sustained severe wounds to her head and neck while tending to two male Persian leopards inside an indoor enclosure.
The incident occurred on Saturday when the big cats had been moved indoors due to adverse weather conditions. Because there were no CCTV cameras installed inside that specific enclosure, the exact sequence of events leading to the deadly attack remains unknown.
Despite sustaining severe injuries, the keeper managed to use her walkie-talkie to alert colleagues. An ambulance and a trauma helicopter arrived at the safari park at approximately 11:00 am local time, and she was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition. Her condition deteriorated rapidly the following day, and the safari park announced her death on Sunday.
Under Dutch privacy laws, the identity of the worker has not been disclosed. The experienced keeper first joined Beekse Bergen at age 17 and dedicated four decades to working at the safari park on and off throughout her career.
In a joint statement with the victim’s family, park management expressed profound grief. “Her passing has deeply affected us all, and our hearts go out to her family, friends, and loved ones. At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting her family and her colleagues,” the statement read.
Beekse Bergen has confirmed that an independent investigation will examine the circumstances surrounding the incident. The inquiry will determine why the staff member was inside the enclosure with the predators, as zoo protocol typically prohibits keepers from sharing space with dangerous animals. However, the park has explicitly ruled out euthanizing the two leopards, with a spokesperson telling broadcaster Omroep Brabant that the animals were simply displaying natural behavior as predators.
The park also announced plans to establish a memorial site where staff and visitors can leave tributes and messages of condolence.
