Leopard attack leaves Beekse Bergen zookeeper critically injured

A zookeeper was mauled by a leopard at Beekse Bergen safari park on Saturday, leaving her in critical condition. Medics say she is not expected to survive.

Two Persian panthers, which had been sheltering from the weather, attacked the woman in an enclosure, according to reports. There is no CCTV footage and investigations into what happened are ongoing.

The victim was highly experienced, according to Omroep Brabant, having spent around 25 years working at the park and caring for the animals. She sustained serious wounds to her head and neck from the attack, and her conditioned worsened over Sunday night.

She managed to call for help via a walkie-talkie and was rescued by colleagues before being almost immediately operated on. A trauma helicopter and large numbers of emergency workers rushed to the sight.

It is unclear why or how she was in the enclosure with the animals – something that is never normally allowed.

Wineke Schoo, director of the Dutch Association of Zoos, described the incident as a “worst case scenario” to Omroep Brabant, and said she has only ever experienced one such incident in 25 years of Dutch zookeeping, which was a lion attack in 2001.