A zookeeper has been dragged down and mauled to death by a pride of lions.
The attack happened at Safari World Bangkok in Thailand when 58-year-old Jian Rangkharasamee stepped out of his jeep in the lion enclosure.
Witnesses said a lion crept up from behind before pouncing on him. Several other lions then quickly joined in to tear at his flesh.
Visitors honked their car horns and shouted in an attempt to scare off the lions, but the animals mauled Rangkharasamee to death as tourists looked on in horror.
Professor Tavatchai Kanchanarin, doctor at a leading hospital, saw the tragedy unfold at around 11am on Wednesday.
He said: “The lion attacked the zookeeper while he was getting out of his car.
“It was about 10 metres away, then slowly approached and grabbed the zookeeper from behind, dragging him to the ground and biting him.
“Three or four other lions then joined in with biting the zookeeper.
“Many people witnessed the incident but didn’t know how to help. They honked their own car horns and shouted for help.”
He added the ordeal lasted around 15 minutes before staff managed to reach the victim.
Rangkharasamee, a veteran keeper who had worked with lions for nearly 30 years, was rushed to Intrarat Hospital but was pronounced de@d on arrival, according to Nation Thailand.
Police believe the zookeeper broke strict safety protocols by leaving his vehicle.
The drive-through safari zone has a no-exit policy for both staff and visitors, People reported.
Pol Col Niruchphon Yothamat of Khannayao Police Station said: “Normally, he would stay in the vehicle, and the lion would move away once the engine was started, but in this case, the vehicle’s door was still open.”
A fellow keeper, Phanom Sitsaeng, was the first to try to help after hearing horns blaring, but the lions had already inflicted fatal injuries.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has since ordered the temporary closure of the safari zone while safety checks are carried out.
“The incident will be further investigated to determine what happened,” said DNP director-general Atthapol Charoenchansa.
A senior Safari World official told local media all 32 lions at the park are licensed, insisting: “We have rules and we repeat them often as we work with dangerous animals.”
He described Rangkharasamee as “a kind man”.
Edwin Wiek of Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand said: “This incident should serve as a stark reminder that these animals, even when raised by humans from birth, still pose a serious threat to human life that can be triggered without warning.”
