An experienced zookeeper was eaten alive by lions at Safari World in Bangkok on Wednesday. Horrified tourists looked on as the big cats chewed through his flesh and left his body in a puddle of blood.

Witnesses said the zookeeper, Jian Rangkasamee, was dragged to the ground and attacked by at least three lions, according to the state-run Thai News Agency. He had stepped out of his jeep to clear trash in the section of the park meant for visitors to view the animals from their vehicles.

The victim, 58, was pulled away by his colleagues after about 15 minutes and later pronounced dead at the hospital, the TNA reported.

Rangkasamee had worked with tigers and lions for over 20 years and was employed by the Bangkok Zoo since 2019. He was tasked with driving a pickup truck to help guide the animals within their designated areas, it added.

The first lion that attacked was reportedly 10 metres away before approaching and grabbing the zookeeper from behind. After he was dragged to the ground, other lions joined in.

Fellow zookeepers blared their car horns, attempting to scare the big cats away. Then they fired guns, but by that point Rangkasamee’s body had been gnawed down to the bones.

Other park employees said one of the park’s rules bars customers and employees from getting out of their vehicles.

Thailand’s Department of National Parks, which is responsible for the country’s zoos, said its staff were on their way to the facility to investigate what happened. It shut down the park while considering whether to euthanize the lions.

Safari World Bangkok calls itself one of Asia’s largest open-air zoos and offers lion- and tiger-feeding trips for around $37 per person. Its website says “visitors can get up close and personal with wild animals such as tigers, lions, bears and zebras wandering freely in their natural habitats.”

The zoo expressed its “deepest condolences” to the victim’s family and said it would provide them with “full care and support.” It said such an incident had never occurred before in over 40 years of operation and that all the animals were being monitored by a team of experts.

Fatal attacks by wild animals have been a longstanding issue in Thailand. Wild elephants caused at least 227 fatalities over 12 years, officials reported in 2024.

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand wrote in a statement posted on X: “This incident should serve as a stark reminder that these animals, even when raised by humans from birth, still pose a serious threat to human life that can be triggered without warning.”

Lions maul veteran zookeeper to death in front of horrified guests at Bangkok safari park

Lions mauled a zookeeper to death at a Thailand safari park in the capital of Bangkok on Wednesday, leaving visitors horrified.

Jian Rangkharasamee, 58, who had worked at Safari World for some three decades, was attacked in the section of the park meant for visitors to view the animals from their vehicles.

Sadudee Punpugdee, wildlife protection director at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said the victim was likely mauled by six or seven lions.

The department, responsible for managing national parks in Thailand, has ordered a temporary closure of the facility.

“The deceased is a zoo staff member who usually fed the lions,” he said, adding that the man appeared to have stepped out of his car at the time of the incident.

Police opened an investigation after footage of the incident spread widely on social media.

Dr Tavatchai Kanchanarin, a visitor who witnessed the attack, told Thairath television that the victim had left an uncovered car and stood with his back to the animals.

“He stood for about three minutes, then a lion walked slowly and grabbed him from behind. He did not scream,” he said.

Attapol Charoenchansa, director general of the Department of National Parks, said the incident took place during feeding time. It was assumed that “one of them was not in a good mood” and launched the attack, he said, referring to the lions, with others following.

The mauling reportedly continued for nearly 15 minutes before a co-worker was able to reach the victim and pull him to safety. He was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead, according to the Bangkok Post.

The victim’s wife, Ratanaporn Jitpakdee, said her husband had always taken precautions and had never been attacked before. She described him as the sole breadwinner of the family who loved caring for the animals at the park.

In a similar incident, a zookeeper was mauled to death in 2023 while attempting to feed a lion in Japan.

After 5 lions kill zookeeper in Thailand, scrutiny on safari park’s animal treatment intensifies

A Thai zoo has temporarily closed its predator zone after lions mauled a zookeeper to death, wildlife officials said Friday, as scrutiny on the park’s animal treatment intensified.

Safari World, which claims on its website to be one of Asia’s largest open-air zoos, is controversial for its staged shows featuring kickboxing orangutans and hula-hooping elephants.On Wednesday, a pack of lions mauled longtime zookeeper, 58-year-old Jian Rangkarassamee, to death when he stepped out of his vehicle, officials said.

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.

The Department of National Parks’ (DNP) wildlife conservation director, Chalerm Poommai, told AFP Friday that an inspection found damaged fences, inadequate warning signs, and too few CCTV cameras.

The zoo’s permit, which expired in October last year, is still awaiting renewal, he added.

“The zoo needs to meet safety standards to prevent such an incident from happening again,” he said, but added that the lions’ wildlife instinct “cannot be erased.”

A Safari World representative said Friday other parts of the zoo remain open and are safe for visitors, but declined to comment further.

In a Facebook post, Safari World Bangkok said, “It will urgently investigate and strengthen safety measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring again.”

“The company places the highest importance on the safety of all tourists and employees, emphasizing the importance of not getting out of the vehicle while visiting the open zoo, especially in the wild animal zone,” the park said.

Safari World’s website says “visitors can get up close and personal with wild animals such as tigers, lions, bears and zebras wandering freely in their natural habitats.” Last month, Safari World announced the opening of a new lion’s den, calling it “a truly special experience for everyone in the family with the lion feeding activity.”

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.

The incident marked at least the second fatal animal attack at a park in Thailand this year. In January, an elephant killed a Spanish tourist while she was bathing the animal at a sanctuary in southern Thailand.

Fatal lion attacks at zoos are extremely rare but this marks the second such incident in less than a year. Last October, a group of lions mauled a zookeeper to death in Crimea after a door inside their enclosure was left unlocked.