Beekse Bergen Zoo: Zookeeper dies after mauling in Persian leopard enclosure in Netherlands

A zookeeper has died after she was mauled by a leopard at a Dutch zoo.

Around 11am on Saturday, a woman was caring for two male Persian leopards, also referred to as Persian panthers, at Beekse Bergen Zoo in Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands, when she was attacked.

It is not known if she was attacked by one or both leopards in the enclosure, and there is no footage of the terrifying incident.

Her colleagues rushed to the enclosure and provided first aid before the woman was taken to hospital via helicopter, where she died on Tuesday, local time.

The tragic update was shared by Beekse Bergen in a social media post, who are yet to identify the victim.

“With enormous sadness, we have to report that the animal caretaker of Safaripark Beekse Bergen passed away today from the injuries she sustained on Saturday, October 24, in an incident with a panther in the park,” the translated post read.

The spokesperson said the zookeeper had first started working at the park aged 17.

They said that, with a few short breaks, she had worked there for almost 40 years.

“Her passing also deeply affects us all, and we are intensely grieving with her family, friends, and loved ones,” the post continued.

“We ask for peace and privacy for her loved ones and our staff, so that they can process this profound loss.”

Comments were disabled on the Facebook post “out of respect” for the victim and her loved ones.

The zookeeper sustained injuries to her head and neck and had emergency surgery the day of the attack, local outlet Brabants Dagblad reported.

While the surgery went “satisfactorily”, her condition quickly deteriorated soon after.

Soon after the attack, head of animal care at the zoo Martin van Hees told Brabants Dagblad it was “deeply tragic”.

He said the keeper had worked with leopards for eight years and was “always alert to safety”.

Mr van Hees said the leopards remained in their enclosure and ruled out euthanising them.

“We are not going to do anything with the leopards,” a translated quote read.

“It just sat in its enclosure and did what it did.

“The animal cannot help it.”

At the time of the attack, the two Persian leopards were being held inside due to a passing storm.

An investigation has been launched into the devastating attack.

This is not the first attack at the zoo, a 37-year-old employee was killed by an elephant in 2003.

Beekse Bergen is the largest wildlife and safari resort in the Benelux region of the Netherlands.

The leopard attack comes two weeks after William Chapman was fatally attacked at a UK zoo after entering a tiger enclosure.