PREMIUM TIMES
The Ogun State Police Command on Sunday confirmed that a 35-year-old zookeeper at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Wildlife Park in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, Babaji Daule, was on Saturday killed by a lion.
The Police Public Relations Officer for the Ogun State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, disclosed this in a terse statement made available to journalists on Sunday morning.
According to the statement, the incident was on Saturday evening at about 7:40 p.m. reported at a divisional police station, and was later escalated to the state command office.
The statement reads in part: “On September 28, 2024, at about 7:40 hrs the Chief Security Officer of Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library informed the divisional police officer that a 35-year-old man named Babaji Daule from Bauchi State, who is a trained handler of a male lion at the Zoological Garden in OOPL Abeokuta, tragically lost his life.
“It was discovered that the lion handler carelessly neglected to secure the locks and barricade the of lion’s enclosure before approaching the cage to feed the animal. This negligence allowed the lion to escape and attack the handler, resulting in fatal injuries to the handler’s neck and eventual death.”
The police confirmed that the victim’s body “was removed and taken to the mortuary at Ijaye General Hospital, while the wild lion was shot to release its grip on the handler.”
Library management speaks
Meanwhile, the management of the OOPL Wildlife Park also issued a statement, narrating how the incident happened.
According to the statement, the zoo keeper had volunteered to take some guests who had visited the facility after official hour, but was reportedly “careless” in handling the lion’s cage.
The statement reads: “The zookeeper, at the heeding of some guests who came after the closing time of the park, agreed to take the guests to demonstrate the feeding routine of the lion in its inner enclosure.
“The zookeeper, apparently, feeling comfortable with the animal, left the safety protection gate open and proceeded to feed the animal. He was mauled by the animal and died on the spot.
“To prevent further mutilation of the body, the animal was put down immediately by personnel of the park.”
Below standard
The management of the facility, however, described the conduct of the zookeeper as below the standard of its practice.
“It is important to state that this activity (by the zookeeper) fell completely out of the standard feeding routine of the park. Investigations have begun, and the matter has since been reported to the police for their investigation.”