Lions maul 21-year-old game reserve worker to her death after she entered their enclosure for her daily duties
A game reserve worker in South Africa was mauled to death by lions after she entered their enclosure to perform daily duties on Thursday.
Swans van Wyke somehow managed to escape from the enclosure and alerted colleagues with her screams just moments after the attack. But she succumbed to her injuries and collapsed by the gate, according to reports.
Responding paramedics found the reserve worker covered in blood with deep bite and claw wounds. Despite their best efforts, van Wyke was pronounced dead at the scene.
As of now, police have no idea as to how many lions attacked the victim. However, they have launched an investigation at the game reserve located in Bela-Bela, Limpopo province, South Africa.
Authorities are currently interviewing the staff at the game lodge, which is yet to be named.
"Our initial investigations show she was performing her duties when attacked by an unknown number of lions," South African police spokesman Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said. "The circumstances leading to this tragic incident are still unknown at this stage."
It is unclear if the lions involved in the death would face consequences, but police said it was a matter for the game lodge and their authorities to decide.
In a bid to get over the trauma from the attack, game lodge staffers who witnessed the aftermath -- as well as colleagues of van Wyke -- will reportedly be offered counseling and time off from work.
While the exact game lodge where the lions attacked their keeper has not been revealed, it has reportedly closed its gates to the public for the time being, says a report by the Mirror.
Last August, 70-year-old Leon van Biljon -- famously known as 'The Lion Man' -- was mauled to death by lions in his own enclosure while he was trying to fix a broken fence.
Rambo, Nakita, and Katryn -- the three lions responsible for van Biljon's death -- were shot dead later at the Mahala View Lion Game Lodge at Hammanskraal, South Africa.