A longtime zookeeper in Thailand was mauled to dying by a pack of lions in entrance of vacationers at Safari World Bangkok.
The deadly assault occurred on Sept. 10 at about 11 a.m. native time when an worker stepped out of his automobile. He was mauled for about quarter-hour, in accordance to Thai Information Company.
Sadudee Punpugdee, wildlife safety director of the Division of Nationwide Parks, informed AFP that the worker, recognized as Jian Rangkarassamee, 58, was “a zoo workers member who normally fed the lions.”
Punpugdee added that the workers member was “mauled by six or seven of the massive cats when he stepped out of his automobile.”
An post-mortem discovered that Rangkarassamee suffered a number of deep lacerations, a damaged neck and ruptured arteries.
The zoo has now quickly closed its predator zone, the place the lions have been saved, and the lions have been confined to cages for shut monitoring, in accordance to CBS Information. The zoo has additionally closed off its huge cat part till repairs and enhancements are accomplished.
The Division of Nationwide Parks’ (DNP) wildlife conservation director, Chalerm Poommai, shared inspection outcomes with AFP on Friday, revealing that there have been broken fences, insufficient warning indicators and never sufficient CCTV cameras on-site.
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Poommai additionally revealed that the zoo’s allow expired final October and continues to be awaiting renewal.
“The zoo wants to satisfy security requirements to stop such an incident from occurring once more,” he mentioned.
After the assault, Safari World Bangkok mentioned it will “urgently examine and strengthen security measures to stop comparable incidents.”
“The corporate locations the very best significance on the security of all vacationers and workers, emphasizing the significance of not getting out of the automobile whereas visiting the open zoo, particularly within the wild animal zone,” the park mentioned in a Fb publish.
Edwin Wiek, from Wildlife Associates Basis Thailand (WFFT), mentioned the group wish to “categorical our honest condolences to the deceased animal keeper.”
“This incident ought to function a stark reminder that these animals, even when raised by people from beginning, nonetheless pose a severe risk to human life that may be triggered with out warning,” Wiek wrote in an announcement on Fb.
WFFT additionally referred to as on Thai authorities to “prohibit the uncontrolled breeding of lions by anybody apart from licensed zoos, and to ban the holding of lions and different harmful species by personal people in properties, espresso retailers, leisure venues, and different public locations.”
World Animal Safety Thailand referred to as for Safari World to “relocate the lions, who’ve executed nothing incorrect apart from exhibit their pure behaviors, to a sanctuary.”
“Forcing apex predators like lions to carry out places each individuals and animals to unacceptable dangers. You will need to acknowledge that lions and different wild animals retain their pure instincts and defensive behaviors. For them, these are regular, however for people the results are lethal,” the group wrote in an announcement.
The assertion went on to say that analysis exhibits that “the captive lion inhabitants in Thailand has elevated from 131 in 2018 to 444 in 2024,” an “alarming” progress of 239 per cent in simply six years.
“Much more regarding, personal possession of lions has reportedly surged by over 1,300%. This raises grave welfare and security dangers, alongside hyperlinks to unlawful wildlife commerce,” they added.
Safari World Bangkok claims to be one in all Asia’s largest open-air zoos, the place guests can discover the wildlife sanctuary by automobile or on foot, in keeping with its web site. It’s additionally identified for its staged exhibits, together with hula-hooping elephants, synchronized swimming dolphins and kickboxing orangutans.
The incident at Safari World Bangkok marks the second deadly animal assault at a Thai wildlife park this 12 months.
Earlier this 12 months, a 22-year-old vacationer was killed by an elephant at a sanctuary after the animal turned on her whereas she was bathing it.
Spanish newspapers El Mundo and El Pais reported that Blanca Ojanguren García, from Spain, was bathing an elephant alongside her boyfriend on the Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre on Jan. 3, when the elephant attacked her.
She was rushed to a neighborhood hospital, the place she died.
© 2025 World Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
