Zookeeper dies after she was attacked in leopard enclosure, Dutch safari park says

October 27, 2026 / 1:33 PM EDT / CBS/AFP

A keeper at a Dutch zoo has died days after being mauled in a leopard enclosure, the safari park announced on Tuesday.

The woman was attacked while caring for two Persian leopards in an indoor facility at the Beekse Bergen park in the south of the Netherlands.

It is not clear exactly what happened in the enclosure as there are no cameras. The animals were inside due to bad weather and staff are usually kept away from the leopards.

She sustained serious injuries to her head and neck, according to local media. She underwent emergency surgery but died on Tuesday, the zoo said in a statement.

"The keeper started at the Beekse Bergen Safari Park at the age of 17 and worked here, with only a few short interruptions, for nearly 40 years," the park said in a statement on social media. "Her passing also deeply affects us all, and we are intensely grieving with her family, friends, and loved ones. We ask for peace and privacy for her loved ones and our staff, so that they can process this profound loss."

An independent investigation will be launched to establish the…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/