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Tag: zoo

  • SAD! Lions eat zookeeper alive while tourists watch in awe

    SAD! Lions eat zookeeper alive while tourists watch in awe

    A zookeeper in Thailand was dragged down and mauled to d3ath by a pride of lions.

    The attack happened at Safari World Bangkok 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 de@th 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.”

  • Tiger kills worker at Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo

    Tiger kills worker at Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo

    Zoo officials on Friday confirmed that a tiger killed a zookeeper at the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem.

    According to a statement quoted by Israeli media, the animal attacked the 26-year-old keeper as he was preparing the enclosure of the tiger for a special tour group.

    The man suffered severe injuries and died shortly after being taken to hospital.

    The zoo said the tiger broke out of its cage for reasons that remain unclear and entered a secure area where the keeper was working.

    At no point were the visitors in danger, the statement added.

    The zoo was closed immediately following the incident and will remain shut until Sunday, according to a post on its official Facebook page.

    Founded in 1928, the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo features animals mentioned in the Bible, including bears, lions, wolves, antelope, snakes and vultures.

    It also includes non-biblical species such as giraffes and tigers, and is involved in conservation efforts for ancient and endangered animals.

  • 80% of animals in Maduguri Zoo killed by flood- Zoo Manager

    80% of animals in Maduguri Zoo killed by flood- Zoo Manager

    80 per cent of animals in the Maiduguri Zoo’s popularity known as Sanda Kyarimi Zoo Park, have died as a result of the reported floods in Borno State.

    According to the General Manager of the zoo, Ali Abatcha, while 80 per cent of the animals in the zoo have been killed by the flood, others have escaped into the city capital.

    This is as a report released by the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said the flooding in the zoo has reportedly led to some wild animals, including crocodiles and snakes, escaping their enclosures.

    Flooding is reportedly covering over 40 per cent of Maiduguri town, which has an estimated population of over 870,000, including the Muna and Jere IDP camps, with a combined population of approximately 230,000.

    On Tuesday, reports broke that some animals from the zoo, including snakes, crocodiles were seen in town.

    Although a lion was reported to have escaped, its whereabouts is yet to be known as of press time.

    The Federal Government has begun the evacuation of residents of the affected communities in the flooding.

    A statement by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Tuesday, said it is also working on the provision of food, shelter and medical assistance for the victims.

    The unfortunate flooding situation in the Maiduguri metropolis of Borno State, which started last weekend and increased in the early hours of Monday, 9th September 2024, resulted from excess water from the Alau Dam.

    One of the spillways of Alau Dam collapsed, leading to a significant increase in water flow downstream and exacerbating the flooding in surrounding areas.

    As a result, NEMA said the Borno State Government has opened up Bakassi Camp to accommodate those displaced by the flood.

  • Floods hit Maiduguri zoo, animals suddenly break free

    Floods hit Maiduguri zoo, animals suddenly break free

    Residents around Sanda Kyarimi Zoo in Maiduguri, Borno State, trying to escape flooding are now thrown into confusion as some animals in the zoo have started coming out.

    According to reports, an Ostrich and a crocodile have already escaped as the flood rages on, raising fears that others like elephants, lions, and snakes domiciled in the zoo may find their way out at any moment.

    While one of the crocodiles that escaped was found dead after it was attacked by some unidentified person, the Ostrich has been wandering.

    When contacted, the Director, Forest and Wildlife, Mr Ayuba Peter, who said the incident took them unawares, confirmed that the Zoo Manager had intimated him about the recent development.

    Peter said roads around the area have been blocked to stop human movement, while wildlife staff were patrolling to pick any animal that escaped, particularly the carnivores.

    Meanwhile, a reliable source in the zoo told NAN that about 80 per cent of the animals in the zoo, particularly the carnivores who can’t escape due to their locked facility are dead, while others like snakes and crocodiles have been washed away by the flood.

    The raging flood from the collapsed Alau Dam has continued to submerged many areas in Maiduguri and environs.

  • CARTOON OF THE DAY: Most expensive zoo in Nigeria

    CARTOON OF THE DAY: Most expensive zoo in Nigeria

  • Zoo put into lockdown after five lions escape

    Zoo put into lockdown after five lions escape

    An Australian zoo has been placed on lockdown on Wednesday after five lions escaped from their enclosure.

    Sydney’s Taronga Zoo said five lions, one adult, and four cubs were found in a small area beside their exhibit, with a 1.8-metre tall fence separating them from the rest of the zoo.

    “The zoo has strict safety protocols in place for such an incident and immediate action was taken.

    “We regularly conduct drills to ensure we are prepared,’’ the zoo said in a statement.

    “All persons on site were moved to safe zones.

    “Four of the lions calmly returned to their dens, and one cub was safely tranquilised, but now awake and well.’’

    A full review was underway to confirm how the animals were able to leave their enclosure, Taronga Zoo said.

    “All Zoo staff acted swiftly, and procedures and processes were followed as they should have been.

    “As a result, the situation is under control within minutes.’’

  • Imo philanthropist adopts three lions

    Imo philanthropist adopts three lions

    A philanthropist, Innocent Onwubiko, on Wednesday formally adopted three lions from the Imo Zoological Garden and Wildlife Park, Owerri.

    The General Manager of the park, Mr Francis Abioye, said the adoption followed the signing of a one-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the management and Onwubiko.
    Abioye commended Onwubiko for showing interest in wildlife preservation.

    He said: “This is the first time in the history of Imo where an animal was adopted by an individual.

    “Gov. Hope Uzodinma’s administration has advanced the cause of wildlife conservation in Imo. “This arrangement will help to sustain the lifespan of the lions because they are special species, known as West African Lion.

    “When any specie of plant or animal goes into extinction or terminated from the system, the world changes so our generation should preserve them from going into extinction.”

    Onwubiko told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that he decided to adopt the animals to support wildlife conservation in Nigeria.
    He said he would cater for the wellbeing of the lions until the end of the MoU.

    “I want to support Imo government to sustain the life of the lions because to feed a lion is very expensive.

    “I am a lover of nature and this is one of the ways Onwubiko Foundation will show love to animals and promote wildlife conservation in the country,” he said.

    He commended the Imo government for approving the adoption of the lions and advised for an upgrade of the state government-owned facility to international standard.

  • Gorilla must vomit N6.8m, Ganduje orders

    Gorilla must vomit N6.8m, Ganduje orders

    Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje has ordered the state Anti-Corruption Commission to probe the claims by the Kano Zoological Gardens that a Gorilla in the state-owned Zoo swallowed N6.8 million.

    “The order was given on Friday and the commission has already swung into action,” a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Abba Anwar, said on Sunday in Kano.

    It quoted the governor as directing the commission to look into the immediate and remote circumstances surrounding the allegation and “unearth everything surrounding the incident.”

    The animal was said to have swallowed N6.8 million generated by the Zoo as gate fees collected from visitors of the garden, particularly during the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations.

    An accounts officer at the zoo claimed that the gorilla sneaked into an office where the money was kept and then proceeded to ‘swallow’ it.

    The Managing Director of Kano Zoo, Umar Kashekobo, confirmed that money was missing.

    He gave no details.

    He merely said: “Police are investigating what happened – all I can say is money is missing.”

    The police also confirmed the disappearance of money from the zoo.

    “Yes, it is true that money from five days of Sallah festivities is missing from the Kano zoo,” spokesman for the state police command, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, told the BBC.

  • Fun seekers desert Zoo following director’s abduction

    Fun seekers have deserted Ogba Zoo and Leisure Park in Benin city after Sunday’s attack in which the park’s director was abducted and three policemen were killed.

    The park which has reportedly usually attracts fun seekers daily has been deserted since the incident.

    When visited on Wednesday, the zoo was devoid of its usual bustle and hassles, with only a few members of staff hovering around.

    There were no security personnel at the entrance gate of the park which was locked.

    It would be recalled that three policemen drafted to provide security for fun seekers at the zoo died in the incident while the gunmen abducted the Director and Chief Executive of the Zoo, Dr Andy Ehanire.

    The director is the younger brother to the Minister of State for Health, Mr Osagie Ehanire.

     

    NAN