Outrage as lion kills Obasanjo zoo keeper

Visitors have been temporarily restricted from Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Wildlife Park in Abeokuta, Ogun State where 35-year-old lion zoo keeper was mauled to death last Saturday morning.

The tragedy occurred when Babaji Daule, the trained handler of the male lion at the Zoological Garden “carelessly neglected to secure the locks and barricade of the lion’s enclosure before approaching the cage to feed the animal”.

The Chief Security Officer of the OOPL, blamed the death of the victim who hails from Bauchi State, at the Zoological Garden of the OOPL said the rampaging male lion.

“This negligence allowed the lion to escape and attack him, resulting in fatal injuries to the handler’s neck and eventual death.

The wild lion was shot to release its grip on the handler”, while the victim’s body was removed and taken to the mortuary at the State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, according to the police statement.

SP Omolola Odutola, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Command in Ogun State confirmed the sad incident.

“It was discovered that the lion handler carelessly neglected to secure the locks and barricade the of lion’s enclosure before approaching the cage to feed the animal.

“This negligence allowed the lion to escape and attack the handler, resulting in fatal injuries to the handler’s neck and eventual death”.

TheNewspad reports that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria has been notified by the Management of the zoo.

Recall that a zookeeper at the Zoological garden of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, was mauled to death by a lion in extremely vicious attack.

Olabode Olawuyi, the institution Veterinary Technologist, who shared the same enclosure with the 9-year-old male lion, was feeding the predators in their den when the tragedy struck in February 2024.

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