It is still unclear why the young zookeeper entered the enclosure during feeding time. The zoo supervisor said it was a "miracle" that the employee had survived after being mauled and repeatedly bitten by two male lions.
Image: Imago/Imagebroker
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A 24-year-old employee of the Serengeti Zoo near Hamburg was recovering from a lion attack and his life was not in danger, park officials said on Sunday.
"We can say it's a miracle that our young colleague is still alive," zoo chief Fabrizio Sepe told reporters.
Just before opening time on Saturday, the zookeeper entered the lion enclosure as the animals were feeding on the meat left out for them. It was not immediately clear why the man had done so, but preliminary information indicates he was likely trying to complete a routine fence check. Normally, zoo employees only enter the area if lions are in their cages.
Lions lounge at Serengeti Park in HodengahenImage: Imago/Strussfoto
The two male lions, which have been castrated and separated from the rest of the lion pack in the zoo, spotted the man and attacked him. The zoo worker sustained injuries to his arm, leg, and chest, according to mass-circulation Bild newspaper.
"The animals bit him several times," Sepe said. "Two other zoo keepers saved their colleague and fended off the lions."
The victim was brought to hospital by an emergency helicopter and was conscious and able to speak, according to police. He then underwent a five-hour surgery and is expected to eventually make a full recovery.
More than 1,500 animals live at the park in Hodenhagen in Lower Saxony. The zoo also caught attention five years ago, when a lioness tried to attack a safari bus used to ferry visitors through the compound, breaking one of the windows. A family sustained slight injuries due to broken glass.
Lions: An apex predator under threat
Lions were once found all over Africa, now they prowl the plains and open woodlands of just a few countries. Why are these charismatic animals so threatened?
They're the top of the food chain and the kings and queens of whichever plains they roam. African lions are also perhaps the most sociable of the big cats, they stick together in their prides. An enduring symbol of strength and majesty, it's perhaps hard for some to believe that these animals are under threat.
Lions were once found in the wild across the African continent from Algeria to Lesotho. They're now only found in sub-Saharan Africa, with the largest populations in Tanzania, according to WWF. But their numbers are under threat there too: They've disappeared from 12 sub-Saharan countries in the past few decades.
Image: Getty Images/C. Spencer
So what if lions disappear?
Lion populations have dropped 43 percent over 21 years, according to 2016 figures. They're now classified as vulnerable. Some 20,000 are left in the wild. The animals play an important role as apex predators and their disappearance is a loss to the grasslands and woodlands they roam. Lions help maintain a balance among other animals, particularly herbivores, such as wildebeest.
Image: Getty Images/D. Kitwood
Squeezed out
Africa's population is 1.2 billion and growing. That's putting pressure on habitats and the animals that live in them. Lions on the continent have been reduced to living on 8 percent of the land they once occupied, according to WWF. Some populations have become cut off by an increasing road network and expanding farms and cities. This affects their ability to breed and reduces access to prey.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/T. Karuma
Conflict with humans
As people expand into new territories, they are more likely to come into contact with the big cats. And naturally, most are afraid of the fearsome animals. Farmers struggling to get by sometimes shoot lions that attack their cattle. Livestock can also transmit diseases fatal to lions. Conservation groups are trying to convince those living close to the felines to help protect them.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/I. Sanogo
Poaching victims
Even an apex predator like the lion is powerless in the face of poachers armed with traps, poison and guns. The cats often get caught in snares set up for other animals like zebras that are traded as bush meat. In some cases, lions are poached for their whiskers, bones and tails, which are used in tradiational medicines and rituals.
Image: Getty Images/K. Sahib
Hope for the future?
Lion populations have grown in countries, such as South Africa and Zimbabwe, where they are well-protected and intensive conservation efforts have been under way for years. But it will take a pan-African push and lots of political will to bring the cats back from the brink, say conservationists.
