Woman who worked with big cats for 40 years dies after leopard attack

An unnamed female employee at Beekse Bergen safari park in the southern Netherlands died on Tuesday from injuries suffered in a leopard attack earlier in the week. The woman, who had been working with big cats for eight years, was alone in an enclosure housing two male Persian leopards on Saturday, October 24. She contacted colleagues using a walkie talkie after being struck, triggering the dispatch of an ambulance and a trauma helicopter at approximately 11 a.m. local time.

The park confirmed the death in a statement released Tuesday. "With enormous sadness, we have to report that the animal caretaker of safari park Beekse Bergen passed away today from the injuries she sustained on Saturday, October 24, in an incident with a leopard in the park," the statement read. The woman sustained serious wounds to her head and neck. She underwent emergency surgery immediately after the attack, but her condition deteriorated on Sunday evening, leading to her death two days later.

Beekse Bergen, located in the southern Netherlands, employs the woman who first joined the staff at age 17. According to the park, she had worked there with short breaks for almost 40 years. The facility is home to more than 100 species of animals and allows visitors to view the grounds on foot, by car, bus, or boat. NOS, a CNN affiliate, reported that the zookeeper had been working alone with the two male leopards when the accident occurred.

The park stated that there are no cameras inside the enclosure. It also noted that the two Persian leopards have been treated as normal since the incident. An independent investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the death. The park asked for peace and privacy for the woman's family, friends, and staff members as they process the loss.

This incident follows other fatal animal attacks at zoos and safari parks in recent years. In 2023, a zookeeper was killed by a rhino at Salzburg Hellbrunn Zoo in Austria, an event that also injured a second staff member. Two years before that, a woman working in a big cats' enclosure at a safari park in Chile was killed by a tiger. The Beekse Bergen incident adds to a history of workplace fatalities involving large animals in managed wildlife settings.

The park's statement emphasized the deep impact of the loss on the entire staff. "Her passing also deeply affects us all, and we are intensely grieving with her family, friends and loved ones," it said. The woman had been a long-term member of the team, having started her career at the park as a teenager before becoming a specialist in working with leopards.