As criticism of the park’s animal care grew, wildlife officials announced Friday that a Thai zoo had temporarily closed its predator zone after lions killed a zookeeper by mauling him.
Safari World, which bills itself as one of Asia’s biggest outdoor zoos, is well-known for its theatrical performances that include elephants hula-hooping and kickboxing orangutans.
Longtime zookeeper Jian Rangkarassamee, 58, was killed by a troop of lions on Wednesday after he got out of his car.
An autopsy found he suffered multiple deep lacerations, a broken neck and ruptured arteries.
The five lions, apparently led by a 10-year-old male named Trump, have been confined to cages for close monitoring, and the park has closed off its big cat section until repairs and improvements are completed.
During an inspection, Chalerm Poommai, director of wildlife conservation for the Department of National Parks (DNP), told AFP on Friday that there were too few CCTV cameras, broken fences, and insufficient warning signs.
He also mentioned that the zoo’s permit, which expired in October of last year, is currently pending renewal.
The lions’ innate instinct for wildlife “cannot be erased,” he added, but “the zoo needs to meet safety standards to prevent such an incident from happening again.”
Other areas of the zoo are still open and safe for guests, according to a Safari World official who declined to speak further on Friday.
Conservationists have accused the zoo of exploiting more than a hundred orangutans forced to perform kickboxing matches, with Indonesian forestry officials alleging the primates were smuggled into Thailand by sea.
In the wake of the attack, animal welfare groups Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) issued statements calling for more stringent controls on wildlife ownership in the kingdom.
Lion ownership is legal in Thailand, where the captive population has surged in recent years, with nearly 500 registered in zoos, breeding farms, petting cafes and private homes.
Founder of WFFT Edwin Wiek called on authorities to impose a “complete stop to private ownership of dangerous animals” such as lions.
“If this incident can happen at a zoo with safety guidelines, imagine what could happen in someone’s backyard,” he said.
Sadudee Punpugdee, the DNP’s wildlife protection director, said zookeepers are advised to carry defensive gear such as electric batons or high-pressure hoses, and work in pairs under a mandatory “buddy system”.
He added that DNP officials will inspect other zoos and private lion owners nationwide to ensure standards are met.
