Tragedy struck at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State when a lion killed 35-year-old zoo worker Babaji Daule on Saturday.
The Ogun State Police confirmed the incident, stating that the lion handler, originally from Bauchi State, had forgotten to secure the locks and barricade the lion’s enclosure before approaching to feed the animal.
This oversight allowed the lion to escape and attack him, resulting in severe injuries to his neck and ultimately his death.
Following the attack, Daule’s body was taken to the mortuary at Ijaye General Hospital, and the lion was shot to free it from its grip on him.
While animal attacks are rare, they can occur when humans unintentionally come too close to wildlife, often when animals feel threatened or perceive a risk to their young or territory.
In a similar incident, Mr. Olabode Olawuyi, the veterinary technologist overseeing the Zoological Garden at Obafemi Awolowo University in Osun State, was killed by a lion in February 2024.
Also, in 2020, South African conservationist West Mathewson, 69, was attacked and killed by lions without warning.
YOU MAY ALSO READ: Sierra Leone gets $480m funding to solve power supply crisis