Dutch Safari Park Confirms Keeper's Death After Leopard Attack

A zookeeper at Beekse Bergen Safari Park in the southern Netherlands died on Tuesday following an attack by a leopard. The park announced the death after the woman underwent emergency surgery for serious injuries to her head and neck.

The incident occurred while the keeper was caring for two Persian leopards inside an indoor facility. Staff typically keep their distance from the animals, but the leopards were housed indoors due to inclement weather. No video cameras were present in the enclosure, so the park stated that the exact sequence of events remains unclear.

The keeper began her career at the park at age 17 and served for nearly 40 years, with only brief interruptions. The park asked the public to allow her family and colleagues privacy as they grieve.

A park spokesperson told Omroep Brabant that the leopards were acting according to their natural instincts. "They are, and remain, predators," the spokesperson said. The park noted that Persian leopards are solitary cats found in Africa and Asia that primarily hunt prey such as deer, monkeys, and antelope during the night.

The zoo confirmed that an independent investigation will begin to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack. This review will examine procedural and safety factors within the facility.

This tragedy follows a series of fatal incidents involving big cats at parks globally. Last year, a keeper was attacked by a lion at a Thai safari park after exiting his vehicle. In October 2024, lions killed a person in Crimea after an enclosure door was left unlocked.

Other recent incidents include a 2020 attack on a keeper in Zurich by a Siberian tiger, an 18-020 attack on a North Carolina conservatory worker by a lion, and a 2016 attack on a keeper in Florida by a Malayan tiger.