A zookeeper at Beekse Bergen safari park in the southern Netherlands died Tuesday, four days after a leopard mauled her in an indoor enclosure. The woman, who had worked at the park for 40 years starting at age 17, sustained injuries to her head and neck during the Saturday attack while caring for two Persian leopards. She underwent emergency surgery but did not survive.
The two leopards had been moved indoors due to bad weather. No CCTV cameras were operating inside the enclosure, so the exact circumstances of the attack remain unclear. According to local outlet NL Times, the keeper used her walkie-talkie to alert colleagues and was airlifted to hospital in critical condition.
A park spokesperson told Omroep Brabant that the leopards were behaving naturally and would not be euthanised. Beekse Bergen said it would launch an independent investigation into the incident and create a memorial location for guests and staff to share condolences.