At a zoo just 75 miles outside of Johannesburg, a zoo worker was killed by a lioness.
Joe Ramonetha, 63, was either feeding the 11-year-old lioness or cleaning her cage when she attacked him.
The lioness jumped up and bit him in the throat!
Co-workers heard his screams but he was dead by the time he got to the hospital.
Investigators said:
“It was evident that a terrible accident had occurred ├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥ gates were left open ├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥ the incident thus occurred due to human error.”
A zoo manager said:
“The staff are trained to close all gates on entering the facility, to let the lions out into the outside camp area, secure the entrances to the night rooms and passage before any work commenced.
Joe was attacked in the staff passage and sustained a fatal bite wound to his throat.”
Joe has left behind his wife and four adult children.
The zoo’s managers are meeting now to decide what will happen to the lioness.
This is so sad.
Our hearts and thoughts go out to his family and friends.