A veteran zookeeper was killed by lions at one of Europe’s largest safari parks on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, after an enclosure door was left unlocked, according to Crimean officials.
Leokadia Perevalova, who had worked at the Taigan Safari Park for 17 years, died after entering a cage with three lions to clean it without properly securing an internal door separating her from the animals, investigators said. The park on the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula has around 60 lions and other large predators.
“A criminal case has been opened over the death of an employee at the Taigan lion park as a result of a predator attack,” stated the Moscow-installed Investigative Committee of Crimea and Sevastopol.
Oleg Zubkov, the park’s owner, identified Perevalova as the chief zookeeper and called the incident a “tragic” mistake. He praised her as a “valuable employee” and the “soul of our park.”
“The employees who discovered the body, unfortunately, could no longer provide any assistance since she had simply been torn to pieces,” Zubkov said in a statement on his blog.
The 173-acre Taigan Safari Park, which opened in 2012 on a former military base, features elevated walkways that allow visitors to observe lions roaming freely below. However, it has faced previous safety concerns and legal issues since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, which is not internationally recognized.
In a similar incident a few weeks ago, a zookeeper was killed by a lion after leaving a gate open while feeding the animal in front of visitors. The 35-year-old lion handler, Babaji Daule, worked at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Wildlife Park in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Reports indicate that Babaji was demonstrated the lion’s feeding routine at the end of September when the attack occurred.
In 2018, a tourist was bitten by a lion while posing for a photo at the Taigan safari park. The following year, authorities temporarily closed the facility for a month, accusing Zubkov of feeding expired food to the animals – a claim he denied.
Crimean authorities have launched a criminal investigation into possible workplace negligence related to Perevalova’s death. Whether the worker or park management will be held responsible for the fatal oversight remains unclear.
The Taigan Safari Park, known as one of Europe’s largest lion breeding grounds, continues to face scrutiny over its safety protocols and financial challenges. As investigations proceed, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the power and unpredictability of wild animals, even in controlled environments.