Zoo keeper eaten alive by lions in front of tourists at Safari World Bangkok

A tragic incident unfolded in Thailand as a zoo keeper was eaten alive by a group of lions and stunned tourists eye-witnessed the incident in horror.

The 58-year-old zoo keeper identified as Jian RangKharasamee was attacked after stepping out of his jeep in the lion enclosure at Safari World Bangkok, at around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, September 10.

One of the big cats attacked first and then a pack joined, the tourists honked their horns and screamed in an attempt to scare the beasts away but unfortunately Jian was mauled to death by the animals.

An eye-witness Professor Tavatchai Kanchanarin said, “The zoo keeper was attacked while getting out of his car. The lion was about 10-meter away and then it slowly approached and grabbed the zoo keeper from behind.”

The professor added, “Jian was then dragged to the ground and bitten by the animal,” adding a group of four other lions joined in and killed him.

Rescue staff reached the victim after 15 minutes. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Intrarat Hospital.

According to the Police, the veteran zoo-keeper, who served for nearly 30 years, broke the strict safety protocols by leaving his vehicle in the lion enclosure.

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has said the incident is under investigation to determine what went wrong.