A tragic incident occurred at a wildlife park in Crimea on Wednesday, resulting in the death of a park worker who was attacked by lions. Authorities reported that the incident took place when the employee entered the lion’s cage to carry out cleaning duties. She had failed to secure an internal door that would have kept her safely separated from the three lions inside the enclosure, as confirmed by a statement from the regional office of the Russian Investigative Committee.
The Taigan wildlife park, located in Belogorsk, is approximately 35 kilometers (22 miles) east of Simferopol, the administrative center of Crimea. Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, the region’s status remains disputed and is not acknowledged as Russian territory by most of the international community.
As per the park’s information, it houses around 60 lions within its extensive 30-hectare (75-acre) grounds. Visitors can observe the lions in a more natural setting through about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) of elevated walkways designed for wildlife observation.
In response to the incident, the Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal inquiry focusing on potential negligence, although it remains unclear whether the park or the employee demonstrated any form of negligence in this fatal occurrence.
