A zookeeper was killed in a lion attack in Thailand, officials said Wednesday, raising questions over safety and the legitimacy of the safari park's lion ownership.
The mauling happened at Safari World Bangkok, which calls itself one of Asia's largest open-air zoos and offers lion- and tiger-feeding trips for around $37 per person.
"The deceased is a zoo staff member who usually fed the lions," Sadudee Punpugdee, wildlife protection director of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, told AFP.
He was apparently mauled by six or seven of the big cats when he stepped out of his car, he said.
Tavatchai Kanchanarin, a doctor and zoo visitor who witnessed the attack, said "a man got off an uncovered car and stood alone with his back turned to the animals, which I thought was weird."
"He stood for about three minutes, then a lion walked slowly and grabbed him from the back. He did not scream," Kanchanarin told local media Thairath television.
"We would like to express our sincere condolences to the deceased animal keeper," said Edwin Wiek from conservation group Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand in a statement posted to Facebook. "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."
A senior zoo official, whose name was withheld, told local media that all of the park's lions were licensed.
"We have rules and we repeat them often as we work with dangerous animals," he said.
The victim, who had worked as a zoo supervisor for more than 30 years, was "a kind man," he added.
In a Facebook post, Safari World Bangkok said "it will urgently investigate and strengthen safety measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring again."
"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," the park said.
Safari World's website says "visitors can get up close and personal with wild animals such as tigers, lions, bears and zebras wandering freely in their natural habitats." Last month, Safari World announced the opening of a new lion's den, calling it "a truly special experience for everyone in the family with the lion feeding activity."
Lion ownership is legal in Thailand, where the captive lion population has exploded in recent years, with nearly 500 registered in zoos, breeding farms, petting cafes and homes.
"Safari World must relocate the lions, who have done nothing wrong other than exhibit their natural behaviors, to a sanctuary," said animal rights NGO People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in a statement Wednesday.
The incident marks at least the second fatal animal attack at a park in Thailand this year. In January, an elephant killed a Spanish tourist while she was bathing the animal at a sanctuary in southern Thailand.
Fatal lion attacks at zoos are extremely rare but this marks the second such incident in less than a year. Last October, a group of lions mauled a zookeeper to death in Crimea after a door inside their enclosure was left unlocked.
In 2018, a lion escaped its enclosure and killed a recent college graduate at a North Carolina conservatory during a routine cleaning. Authorities were told the lion was able to enter the same space as 22-year-old Alex Black because a large ball prevented the lion's pen from closing.
In 2013, a lion killed a 24-year-old volunteer at a Central California animal park after it escaped from a feeding cage and attacked her while she was cleaning its enclosure area.