A zookeeper was killed in a lion attack in Thailand, officials said on Wednesday, raising questions over safety and the legitimacy of the safari park’s lion ownership.
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The mauling happened at Safari World Bangkok, which calls itself one of Asia’s largest open-air zoos and offers lion and tiger feeding trips for around 1,200 baht (US$37) per person.
“The deceased is a zoo staff member who usually fed the lions,” said Sadudee Punpugdee, wildlife protection director of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
He was apparently mauled by six or seven of the big cats when he stepped out of his car, he said.
“A man got off an uncovered car and stood alone with his back turned to the animals, which I thought was weird,” Tavatchai Kanchanarin, a doctor and zoo visitor who witnessed the attack, told Thairath television.
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“He stood for about three minutes, then a lion walked slowly and grabbed him from the back. He did not scream.”
