Belfast Zoo launched an investigation into allegations one of their workers was “locked in with the lions,” the Belfast Telegraph reported Thursday.
The incident is said to have occurred earlier in August, the outlet reported citing a source with knowledge of the incident. (RELATED: REPORT: Tiger Eats Owl At Minnesota Zoo That Escaped From Handler)
The worker who was locked in the enclosure with the lions was there to tend to the beasts, the source told the Belfast Telegraph.
“The lions were originally kept in their den while (the individual) was in the enclosure with a more experienced staff member,” the source said.
The experienced staff member then allegedly left the enclosure, and the gate was locked with a trainee still inside the enclosure with “nowhere to go,” the outlet reported. A source told the BBC that the trainee was over 18-years-old
EXCLUSIVE | It’s understood a person allegedly locked in Belfast Zoo’s lion enclosure was left with ‘nowhere to go’ as the animals were free to move around.
➡️https://t.co/RZengxnDtvhttps://t.co/RZengxnDtv
— Belfast Telegraph (@BelTel) August 15, 2024
“They are very lucky they weren’t killed or severely mauled and left with horrendous injuries,” the source told the Belfast Telegraph. “I can only imagine what was going through this poor person’s mind. I mean how on earth did this happen?”
“Council is aware of an incident at the lion enclosure at Belfast Zoo earlier this month,” a spokesperson for Belfast City Council told the outlet.
The council owns the zoo.
“We take the safety of all our staff, visitors and animals very seriously, and an investigation is under way into the circumstances of this incident,” the spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that they could not give further comment about the incident given that an investigation was underway.
The Belfast Zoo is home to a male and two female Barbary lions, a species that is extinct in the wild, the zoo’s website says. It is not known whether this pride of lions were the ones locked in a room with the trainee.
The zoo has not replied to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.