Zookeeper Killed While Trying To Rescue Woman From Lion, As OAU Closes Zoological Garden – NASU Chair

Following the killing of a veterinary technologist, Mr. Olabode Olawuyi, by a nine-year-old lion on Monday, authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State have shut down the zoological garden on the institution’s campus.

The development was made known by the chairman of the National Association of Non-Academic Staff of Universities, OAU branch, Mr. Wole Odewumi.

Odewumi told newsmen that the late veterinary technologist was attacked by the lion while he was attempting to free a woman, who was first attacked by the lion.

Odewumi said, “I spoke to some of his colleagues, and they told me what happened. The lion attacked a woman first. The woman is also a staff working at the zoo.

“The deceased intervened to free the woman from the lion. He must have assumed that the lion would recognise him. His intervention to free the woman must have infuriated the animal. The lion left the woman and attacked him squarely.

“After he was freed from the lion’s grip, they rushed him to the health centre on campus here. He however died before he got there. But the second person that was attacked, a woman, is still on admission receiving treatment presently.”

A mourning procession in honour of Olawuyi was held on the campus on Tuesday according to Odewumi.

He added that the management of the university has also met with his family.

He said, “We held a mourning procession in honour of the deceased this morning and members of the management addressed us after that sober event.

“All unions on campus joined the procession. The management promised to take necessary action. There will be a committee that his union will also have a representative in, that will work on the issues raised. I have visited the scene. The zoo has been locked up. It is officially locked up.

“The management will not want anybody to go there for now. Some members of the family of the deceased were around and we handed them over to the management.”