29-9-2023 (TOKYO) Tragedy struck at a Japanese safari park as a zookeeper lost his life in an apparent lion attack while attempting to lead the animal back to its enclosure, according to the police report released on Friday (Sep 29).
Kenichi Kato, a 53-year-old staff member at Tohoku Safari Park in the Fukushima region, was discovered bleeding from his neck and unconscious within the lion’s enclosure on Thursday afternoon, as disclosed by a local police spokesperson speaking to AFP.
“It is believed that he was feeding a lion,” stated the spokesperson, who opted to remain anonymous.
A senior official from the park stated that Kato had been trying to entice the lion into the enclosure using food but failed to secure a door that should have kept him separated from the large feline.
“The procedure involves opening the door and placing the food. Once the food is in place, the door is supposed to be closed and locked,” explained Norichika Kumakubo, the vice-president of the park, to local journalists on Thursday evening.
However, “the door was open at the time,” he admitted.
Kato was an experienced staff member with a history of working with carnivores, including lions, tigers, and bears, as reported by local media.
“We offer our heartfelt apologies to Mr. Kato and his family,” Kumakubo expressed.
“We view this incident with the utmost seriousness and will take steps to prevent similar accidents.”
The facility will remain closed until they can establish and implement effective safety measures, Kumakubo added.
