Oyo State Shuts Down Zoo As Lion Kills Zookeeper

Oyo State Shuts Down Zoo As Lion Kills Zookeeper

An attendant at the Agodi zoo in Ibadan, Oyo state has been mauled and killed by one of the lions in the facility.

The attendant, Hamzat Oyekunle, popularly known as Baba Olorunwa, died from injuries sustained from the brutal attack.

Following the incident, the state government has ordered the immediate closure of the zoo and an evacuation of the lions.

The government has also opened up an investigation into the tragic incident, the Nation reports.

In a statement at the weekend, the Executive Secretary, Bureau of Investment Promotion (BIP), Mr. Yinka Fatoki, said the incident was shocking.

Fatoki said the closure of the facility is hinged on recommendations contained in a report of the incident from the company managing the zoo, AM & C.

He said the incident was even more strange as Oyekunle has fed the lion for over five years. He added that the deceased is known to have had a very good relationship with all animals in the zoo.

The government said the family of the deceased has also been visited.

In 2015, a lion escaped form a zoo in Jos, Plateau Sate, throwing the city into a state of cold apprehension. The lion was eventually shot dead to the relief of the people who paraded its carcass in a wheelbarrow.