Dutch zookeeper dies days after leopard mauling

This photograph shows the entrance of the Safaripark Beekse Bergen in Hilvarenbeek, on October 27, 2026. A keeper at a Dutch zoo has died days after being mauled in a leopard enclosure, the safari park announced on October 27, 2026. — AFP pic

First Published: Wednesday, 28 Oct 2026 10:24 AM MYT

THE HAGUE, Oct 28 — A keeper at a Dutch zoo has died days after being mauled in a leopard enclosure, the safari park announced on Tuesday.

The woman was attacked while caring for two Persian leopards in an indoor facility at the Beekse Bergen park in the south of the Netherlands.

It is not clear exactly what happened in the enclosure as there are no cameras. The animals were inside due to bad weather and staff are usually kept away from the leopards.

She sustained serious injuries to her head and neck, according to local media. She underwent emergency surgery but died on Tuesday, the zoo said in a statement.

“The keeper started at the Beekse Bergen Safari Park at the age of 17 and worked here, with only a few short interruptions, for nearly 40 years,” the statement said.

An independent investigation will be launched to establish the circumstances of the incident, the zoo added.

The leopards were behaving naturally, a park spokesperson told Omroep Brabant, a local media outlet.