“Lion Fatally Mauls Zookeeper at Nigeria’s Obafemi Awolowo University”

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"Lion Fatally Mauls Zookeeper at Nigeria's Obafemi Awolowo University"

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A zookeeper at a Nigerian university was killed by one of the lions he had been caring for over nearly a decade.

Olabode Olawuyi, in charge of the zoo at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), was attacked while feeding the lions, the university stated. Despite efforts by his colleagues, one of the lions had already fatally wounded him. The lion responsible has since been euthanized.

Mr. Olawuyi, a veterinary technologist, had been caring for the lions since their birth on campus about nine years ago. The university’s spokesman, Abiodun Olarewaju, expressed shock, saying, “We never knew what came over the male lion that it had to attack him.”

Nigerians on social media have shared graphic images of the incident at the university in Osun state in the south-west. The university community is mourning, with a delegation offering condolences to Mr. Olawuyi’s family.

Prof Adebayo Simeon Bamire, the university’s vice-chancellor, expressed sadness and ordered a thorough investigation into the incident. The students’ union leader, Abbas Akinremi, attributed the attack to “human error,” stating that the zookeeper had forgotten to lock the door after feeding the lions.

Abba Gandu, a zookeeper in Kano, northern Nigeria, with over 50 years of experience, described the incident as unfortunate and emphasized the need for more safety measures. He expressed his dedication to feeding lions, despite his worst experience being when a baboon he was trying to feed bit his finger.