An experienced keeper at a Dutch safari park has died several days after being mauled by two Persian leopards, the park has confirmed.

The woman had worked at Beekse Bergen, in the south of the Netherlands, for 40 years. She was caring for the two leopards in an indoor facility when she was attacked on Saturday, the BBC reported. She suffered injuries to her head and neck and underwent emergency surgery, but the park confirmed her death on Tuesday.

The leopards are normally kept away from staff and had been brought inside because of bad weather. It is not clear exactly what happened, because there are no CCTV cameras in the enclosure.

The Dutch news site NL Times reported that despite her injuries she was able to alert colleagues using her walkie-talkie, and was flown to hospital by helicopter in a critical condition.

The park said she had begun working there at the age of 17 and had been there on and off for four decades. “Her passing has deeply affected us all, and our hearts go out to her family, friends, and loved ones,” it said in a statement. “At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting her family and her colleagues.”

Beekse Bergen said an independent investigation would be launched into the incident, and that it would create a memorial location where visitors and staff could leave condolences. A park spokesperson told the regional broadcaster Omroep Brabant that the leopards had behaved naturally and would not be put down.

Not reported

Neither filing names the keeper, nor explains how the leopards and the keeper came to be in the indoor facility at the same time.

Sources

Hiru News, which credited the BBC, dated the park’s confirmation to “yesterday (28)”. The BBC, publishing on 27 October, says the park confirmed the death on Tuesday — 27 October. The BBC’s date is used here.