An unfortunate incident occurred at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Wildlife Park in Nigeria, where a 35-year-old lion handler, Babaji Daule, was killed by a lion during an unsanctioned feeding session.
According to park officials, Daule had agreed to take a group of visitors into the lion enclosure after hours despite the park being closed to the public.
The park’s management stated that Daule, feeling comfortable with the lion, neglected to close the safety gate properly before feeding the animal. This breach of safety protocol resulted in the lion attacking Daule and biting him in the neck.
Sadly, Daule did not survive the attack. The lion was eventually, and unjustly, shot by park staff to prevent further harm to Daule’s body.
The park emphasized that this feeding session was outside of the standard routine and not part of regular park operations.
It remains unclear whether Daule had permission to take the visitors into the enclosure at that time.
Police spokesperson Omolola Odutola confirmed the tragic sequence of events, explaining that Daule’s failure to properly secure the lion’s enclosure led to the fatal attack.
“This negligence allowed the lion to escape and attack the handler, resulting in fatal injuries to the handler’s neck and eventual death,” Odutola said.
This article by Trinity Sparke was first published by One Green Planet on 3 October 2024. Image Credit :Trong Nguyen/Shutterstock.
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