Zookeeper's Violation of Safety Regulations Revealed
Zoo: "Operations Suspended for Maintenance"
Previous "Feeding Experience" Accidents Repeated in the Past
An incident occurred at a zoo in China where a 10-year-old girl was nearly seriously injured after being attacked by a lion while attempting to feed it.
On March 3, Yonhap News TV, citing local Chinese media such as Yangzi Wanbao, reported that a 10-year-old girl was attacked by a female lion at a zoo after a violation of safety rules. The accident took place on February 26. At Zhongshan Park Zoo in Shantou City, Guangdong Province, a 10-year-old girl feeding a lion was attacked by a female lion. According to media reports and videos released via social networking services (SNS), the footage shows the female lion inside the enclosure becoming agitated and suddenly turning aggressive after spotting the girl with food.
The male lion suddenly reached through the bars with its front paw, snagging the girl's pants and pulling them hard. The girl nearly lost her balance and was almost dragged forward, turning the scene into chaos in an instant. Douyin
In the video, the female lion suddenly reaches through the bars with its front paw, grabs the girl’s pants, and pulls hard. The girl nearly loses her balance and is almost dragged forward, causing chaos at the scene. An adult nearby rushed to separate the child, but the lion did not let go easily. The rescue took about 30 seconds; after repeated attempts to push the lion away with a stick and other measures, the child was finally freed. The girl suffered minor abrasions on her leg and was reportedly discharged home after receiving a rabies vaccination at the hospital. Fortunately, her life was not in danger.
Investigations revealed that this incident occurred because the zookeeper violated safety regulations by allowing visitors into the "safety quarantine zone." This area strictly prohibits direct contact with wild animals. The zoo officially apologized, stating, "This issue was caused by the park's poor management." They added, "The zoo is currently closed, and we are conducting facility maintenance and safety inspections. The zookeeper involved has been suspended from duty." Local authorities have also begun additional safety inspections and an investigation into responsibility.
This incident occurred because the zookeeper violated safety regulations by allowing visitors inside the "safety quarantine zone." This area strictly prohibits direct contact with wild animals. Douyin
This is not the first time an accident involving wild animals has occurred at a zoo. In 2016, at Badaling Wildlife Park in Beijing, China, a woman who exited her vehicle was fatally attacked by a tiger, causing widespread shock. At the time, violation of safety regulations was also cited as the direct cause of the accident. In the United States, a 2016 incident at Cincinnati Zoo saw a child fall into a gorilla enclosure, resulting in the zoo euthanizing the gorilla and sparking controversy over safety management. Although the zoo promised measures to prevent recurrence, unless practical safeguards for visitor safety are implemented, similar incidents could happen again at any time. In particular, even a few centimeters' distance from a wild animal can be a matter of life and death, requiring utmost caution.
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