Zookeeper Mauled to Death By Lions in Thailand, Video, Photo Go Viral

• A zookeeper at a private zoo in Thailand was mauled to death by a group of lions on Wednesday, September 10
• The incident occurred at the popular Safari World Bangkok, one of Asia’s largest open-air zoos
• The zookeeper was dragged to the ground and attacked by five lions after he got out of his vehicle and turned his back to the animals

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering global affairs.

Bangkok, Thailand - A zookeeper in Thailand was mauled to death by a group of lions.

As reported by NBC News, the lions mauled 58-year-old longtime zookeeper Jian Rangkarassamee to death when he stepped out of his vehicle.

Fatal lion attack in Thailand

An autopsy found Rangkarassamee suffered multiple deep lacerations, a broken neck and ruptured arteries.

The fatal attack, on Wednesday, September 10, which visitors recorded, occurred at Safari World, a popular private zoo in Bangkok that regularly offers lion-feeding shows.

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Witnesses said the lions dragged the zookeeper to the ground and attacked him after he stepped out of his work vehicle. This was in violation of safety regulations.

The victim was pronounced dead at the hospital after his colleagues managed to pull him away from the lions, which reportedly mauled him for about 15 minutes.

The dead staff member, who had worked with tigers and lions for over 20 years, was tasked with driving a pickup truck to help guide the animals within their designated areas.

Sadudee Punpugdee, wildlife protection director of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, told AFP:

“The deceased is a zoo staff member who usually fed the lions."

Investigation into Thailand lion attack

In a Facebook post, Safari World Bangkok said it "will urgently investigate and strengthen safety measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring again."

The park said:

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"The company places the highest importance on the safety of all tourists and employees, emphasizing the importance of not getting out of the vehicle while visiting the open zoo, especially in the wild animal zone."

It was gathered that the zoo's permit, which expired in October 2024, is still awaiting renewal.

Safari World expressed its “deepest condolences” to the victim’s family and promised that it would provide them with “full care and support.” It stated that such an incident had never occurred before in over 40 years of operation.

A video of the unfortunate incident can be viewed below:

The image of the late zookeeper is below:

Legit.ng reports that fatal lion attacks at Thai zoos are rare but this marks the second such incident in less than a year. In October 2024, a group of lions mauled a zookeeper to death in Crimea after a door inside their enclosure was left unlocked.

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Lion kills worker in Nigeria

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a lion at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun state, Nigeria, killed Babaji Daule, a 35-year-old zoo worker.

Omolola Odutola, the Ogun state police command's spokesperson, confirmed the sad incident.

Odutola disclosed that the deceased, from Bauchi state, was killed after forgetting to secure the locks and barricade the lion’s enclosure before approaching the cage to feed the animal.

Source: Legit.ng