Lions Kill Worker at Crimean Wildlife Park

A worker at one of Europe’s biggest safari parks was mauled to death by a group of lions after a cage was left unlocked.

The incident occurred at the Taigan Safari Park in Crimea on Wednesday, according to the Russian Investigative Committee’s office, which said the worker did not lock the protective internal door that would have separated her from them while completing cleaning duties. It is believed there were three lions in the cage.

Authorities have launched a criminal investigation into potential negligence but have not yet determined whether the worker or the park management is at fault. Taigan’s owner, Oleg Zubkov, identified the victim as chief zookeeper Leokadia Perevalova, praising her as the “soul of the park” on his blog. She had worked at Taigan for 17 years.

“Unfortunately when I arrived there was nothing I could do to help. [Lions are] top predators and they do not forgive mistakes, he said, adding that no other employees were present at the time of the attack.

The park is in Belogorsk, about 22 miles east of the Crimean capital of Simferopol. It covers more than 75 acres and houses about 60 lions and several other predators. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, but most of the world does not recognize it as Russian territory.

This is not the first time the park has come under scrutiny for safety issues. Zubkov, who has been running parks since 1995, claims to have attended more than 300 legal cases related to fines and charges against him, many of which emerged following Russia’s annexation of Crimea. He has often accused officials of unfairly targeting him and his park.

Just over half a mile of elevated walkways allow visitors to observe lions roaming freely, making it a popular attraction.

In 2018, a tourist was bitten by a lion while posing for a photo at the park. Zubkov dismissed the incident as isolated, but it raised questions about his approach to safety.

Additionally, the owner sparked controversy in 2019 when he threatened to euthanize more than 30 bears unless new homes could be found for them. Financial difficulties and ongoing legal pressures led him to issue a public plea, saying: “If no shelters take the bears, I’ll have to shoot them.”

He has said that without financial support from the government, the park relies entirely on revenue from ticket sales to stay operational.

In a previous cost-cutting measure, he had to resort to feeding dozens of Vietnamese pigs to the park’s lions and tigers to cover the high costs of feeding the animals.

The legal system took charge in 2019, closing the doors of Taigan for 30 days after a complaint over expired feed being given to animals, an allegation Zubkov denies.

This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.