LEOPARD ATTACK KILLS KEEPER AT DUTCH SAFARI PARK

A keeper at Beekse Bergen safari park in Hilvarenbeek died on Tuesday after two Persian leopards attacked her on Saturday, the park said. She was caring for the animals in an indoor enclosure when the attack occurred. The keeper suffered injuries to her head and neck and underwent emergency surgery in hospital. Beekse Bergen said she had worked at the park, with brief interruptions, for nearly 40 years.

The park had brought the leopards inside because of bad weather. Staff do not usually share an enclosure with the animals, according to accounts of the park’s procedures. The keeper alerted colleagues using a walkie-talkie after the attack and was taken to hospital by helicopter. No CCTV cameras cover the indoor enclosure, leaving the sequence of events unclear.

Beekse Bergen said it would launch an independent investigation into the attack. A park spokesperson said the leopards were behaving naturally and would not be euthanised. “They are, and remain, predators,” the spokesperson said. The park said it would establish a memorial space where guests and staff could leave condolences. In a statement, Beekse Bergen said its immediate focus was supporting the keeper’s family and colleagues.