A zookeeper was viciously killed by lions after he entered the lion’s den to reportedly “impress” his girlfriend. The man filmed the incident, and the disturbing footage has since surfaced online, showing his final moments at the Lion Park private zoo in the Parkent district of Uzbekistan.
The enclosure consists of three lions, and the video begins just as he goes to open the padlock. The lions are initially calm, and he is seen stroking one of them upon entering. He can be heard saying “Simba” while reportedly telling the lion to remain quiet. However, as he continues to stroke the lion’s mane, the animal attacks him.
During the attack, he reportedly shouted at the lion to “be quiet,” apparently hoping to calm the animal, but the lion continued its ruthless attack. The video ends with screams from the man as he struggles. A report detailed that the man, identified as F. Iriskulov, was mauled to death by more than one of the lions.
According to a report, the 44-year-old man was killed around 5:00 a.m. on December 17. The report stated that he was working the night shift when he pulled out his phone and proceeded to record himself entering the enclosure.
The police released a statement saying that “Three lions kept in a single cage at the Lion Park private zoo, located in the Parkent district of the Tashkent Region, escaped into the zoo’s courtyard.”
The statement, according to the Dailystar, continued, “The lions entered the courtyard, attacking and injuring a 44-year-old keeper born in 1980. Unfortunately, the keeper later died from his injuries.”
Watch the video of the incident below:
