A 36-year-old zoo keeper in Jerusalem has succumbed to injuries after being attacked by a leopard which had escaped from its enclosure.
According to the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, the zookeeper named Uriel Nuri sustained multiple injuries during a "behind-the-scenes tour" for visitors on Friday morning.
The man was reportedly investigating, along with Israeli police, about the big cat escaping into the courtyard where the man was busy working.
After being attacked, the man was rushed to the emergency department of the Hadassah University Hospital-Ein Kerem following extensive injuries to his upper body.
Hadassah Medical Centre stated, "After prolonged resuscitation efforts, the team was forced to declare him dead."
Mr Nuri served as the head of the carnivores team.
Furthermore, the zoo is currently closed to visitors after the tragic incident.
The zoo officially released a statement, which reads, "The tragic event occurred this morning, when during a routine activity to prepare the leopards for enrichment, which took place as part of a behind-the-scenes tour for visitors to the zoo, a leopard managed to escape from the leopard enclosure into the inner courtyard and attack one of the zoo employees who was preparing the activity.”
"At no point was there any physical danger to the visitors, who stood protected behind a glass window,” the statement added.
The zoo further expressed its condolences to his family in this challenging time.
