An inquiry has been instigated by Belfast City Council following an alleged incident where a zoo worker was purportedly trapped in a pen with lions at the city zoo. The event unfolded last week when two employees inadvertently found themselves in the enclosure with the pack of Barbary lions. The remaining worker was left trapped in the enclosure with the lions after the other worker exited and secured the enclosure, reported the Belfast Telegraph last Thursday.
The council, which operates the zoo, acknowledged the occurrence in the enclosure this month through a spokesperson. The statement highlighted the seriousness of the council’s commitment to safety for staff, visitors, and animals, and confirmed that an investigation into the episode’s specifics had been initiated. Further comment was not provided due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
The individual left penned with the lions, whose exact duration in there remains uncertain, was said to be involved in a youth and mature unemployed individuals job training programme based in Northern Ireland.
Robbie Butler, a member of the Ulster Unionist Party assembly and vice-chair of Stormont’s all-party group for animal welfare, emphasised the urgent need for policy and procedure reassessment at the zoo. Butler also voiced his concerns about the welfare of the animals, while asserting that the immediate attention should primarily be focused on the individual involved.
Concerns have been heightened by global incidents, such as the fatality of a man who breached the enclosure in an Indian zoo, and a six-year-old boy who was reportedly killed by a lion at a private zoo in Gaza after he managed to bypass the security fencing.