- By Shivangi Sharma
- Fri, 03 Jan 2025 01:11 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
A chilling video has emerged showing the final moments of a man’s life before he was tragically mauled to death by lions at a private zoo in Parkent, Uzbekistan. The man, identified as a zookeeper, reportedly entered the lion enclosure to record a video of himself. His intention was to impress his girlfriend, but the stunt quickly turned deadly.
In the footage, the man can be seen in close proximity to the lions, unaware of the imminent danger. While he initially appears calm, the situation escalates when one of the lions attacks him. The video captures the harrowing moments as the man is overwhelmed by the powerful animals, who ultimately maul him to death.
Zookeepers are typically trained to handle animals safely, but this tragic event highlights the inherent dangers of working with large predators such as lions.
In the video, the man initially appears calm as he interacts with the lions, even calling one "Simba" and stroking its mane. However, the situation quickly takes a tragic turn when one of the lions attacks him. As he tries to calm the animal, shouting "Be quiet, be quiet," the attack intensifies, and he unknowingly captures his final moments on camera.
Contrary to social media reports, a Dailystar article, citing local police, stated that the lions had escaped their cage into the zoo’s courtyard and attacked Iriskulov, who later died from his injuries.
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Lion Escape Incident: Authorities Neutralise Threat
Authorities quickly responded by tranquillising two lions and returning them to their cage, while a third lion was shot and killed by a local hunter. Officials confirmed that no one else was harmed, and there is no ongoing danger to the public.
“Today, December 17, three lions kept in a single cage at the Lion Park private zoo, located in the Parkent district of Tashkent Region, escaped into the zoo’s courtyard. The lions entered the courtyard, attacking and injuring a 44-year-old keeper born in 1980. Unfortunately, the keeper later died from his injuries,” the department said.
Uzbek media reported that the man was mauled by three African lions after their cage was accidentally left open, allowing the animals to escape into the courtyard. Authorities launched an investigation, securing all animal enclosures. The zoo, which opened in June 2019, houses 10 adult African lions, five lion cubs, a brown bear, an eagle, a cheetah, and other animals across two acres of land.