A zookeeper was mauled to death by lions in front of a group of horrified tourists who could do nothing but sound their car horns at the big cats. Shocking images have captured the moment a pack of predators pounced on a member of staff at Safari World in Bangkok, Thailand, after he stepped out of his vehicle in an open enclosure.
During the attack, which occurred at around 11 am local time (5 am BST), “three or four” of the beasts savaged the keeper so viciously that his bones were visible. The terrifying assault unfolded before a group of petrified tourists, who were rendered powerless and honking their car horns in a desperate bid to scare off the lions.
Stunned witnesses have revealed how they were positioned less than 10 metres away when they witnessed the predators tackle the defenceless keeper, reports the Daily Mirror.
Professor Tavatchai Kanchanarin, a doctor at a prominent Thai hospital who was visiting the park at the time, said they set upon him “while he was getting out of his car” after gradually approaching him.
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.
“At first, I assumed it was familiar to the zookeepers, as the person who was bitten might have been a lion keeper. I thought the lions were trying to hug him, so no one went near that area.”
The attack only ceased when zoo officials arrived armed, causing the lions to flee into the wilderness. However, they were too late to save the unnamed staff member, who had already succumbed.
In total, the attack lasted for approximately 15 minutes, Professor Kanchanarin said, before the zookeeper was rushed to hospital and declared dead. Representatives from Bangkok World Safari Park have yet to comment on the incident, which has left the public in shock.
One social media user posted a warning on Facebook about the unpredictability of wild animals: “Don’t trust a wild animal, even domesticated animals sometimes turn against their keeper.”
Another user, who claimed to have previously visited the zoo, stated that staff were “just chilling with their windows down” while driving through the safari park. They added, “I remember being worried that the staff in those enclosures were just chilling with their windows down when we drove through. RIP to that man.”