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Lion kills worker at US wildlife park
WASHINGTON, Dec 31, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – A lion attacked and killed a young
American woman who had just started working at the facility where it was
kept, the center said Sunday.
Alexandra Black, 22, was passionate about wildlife and had worked just 10
days as in intern at the facility in Burlington, North Carolina.
“The Conservators Center is devastated by the loss of a human life today,”
it said in a statement.
“While a husbandry team led by a professionally trained animal keeper was
carrying out a routine enclosure cleaning, one of the lions somehow left a
locked space and entered the space the humans were in and quickly killed one
person.
“It is unclear at this time how the lion left the locked enclosure. At no
time did the lion ever enter a space that was not enclosed by the park’s
perimeter fence,” the statement added, expressing its condolences to Black’s
family and announcing it would close temporarily.
The lion was killed so Black could be retrieved, the center said.
Black, a recent graduate of Indiana University, had worked a few weeks at
the facility home to dozens of animals and 21 different species, its website
says.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1033 hrs