A routine morning at Bangkok’s Safari World turned into a nightmare on Wednesday when a veteran keeper was fatally attacked by a pride of lions as visitors looked on in shock. Officials say the 58-year-old staffer stepped out of his vehicle inside the lion enclosure and was quickly surrounded by the big cats, a catastrophic breach of protocol that sparked immediate questions about safety at one of Thailand’s most popular wildlife attractions.
Witnesses described a chilling, slow-motion build-up. Dr. Tavatchai Kanchanarin, who was touring the park, told local TV the keeper stood with his back to the animals for several minutes before one lion padded up behind him and grabbed him, with others joining seconds later. He said the victim didn’t scream, even as the lions overwhelmed him. Nearby drivers blared their horns and shouted to distract the pride, but the ordeal dragged on for roughly 15 minutes before help arrived.
Des touristes horrifiés ont vu une meute de lions manger vivant un gardien de zoo en Thaïlande ce matin.
Les bêtes se sont jetées sur le travailleur alors qu’il sortait de sa jeep dans l’enclos ouvert de Safari World à Bangkok vers 11 heures, heure locale. pic.twitter.com/snwhjZXApM
— Claire L. pour une France Éternelle ⚜️ (@FranceEterne) September 10, 2025
Authorities later confirmed the keeper “usually fed the lions” and that six or seven animals were involved after he exited his car. The Department of National Parks opened a formal probe and said it will review the park’s lion licenses and enforcement of on-site rules, including the hard ban on stepping out of vehicles in drive-through zones. The safari area has been closed while investigators reconstruct the sequence of events and interview staff and witnesses.
Safari World bills itself as one of Asia’s largest open-air zoos, drawing families for close-up drives past predators and paid feeding experiences. In the wake of the killing, animal-welfare groups renewed warnings about the inherent risks of putting people and apex predators within arm’s reach, even behind car doors, and urged tighter emergency protocols and on-site response training. Park leaders, who called the death the first of its kind in decades, said they would cooperate fully with authorities and re-emphasize safety procedures with staff.
Animal keeper at SafariWorld, Bangkok attacked and killed by pride of lions. Update soon. pic.twitter.com/fE84yLVoK9
— Edwin Wiek (เอ็ดวิน วีก) (@EdwinWiek) September 10, 2025
What went wrong? Early indications point to human error. Police and park officials stressed that exiting a vehicle inside a predator enclosure is strictly forbidden for both guests and staff. Why the keeper stepped out remains unclear. Some accounts suggest he may have been attempting to retrieve a dropped item, others say he appeared to wait for the animals to approach with his back turned, behavior an eyewitness called “weird.” Whatever the intent, experts note that turning away from large carnivores at close range removes crucial visual cues that can deter an attack.
A keeper was mauled to death by lions at Safari World zoo in Bangkok on Wednesday morning in front of horrified visitors, and the drive-in zone was later closed until further notice by the department of wildlife.
Listen or get the full story in the 1st comment. pic.twitter.com/m8c5ZppxMY
— Bangkok Post (@BangkokPostNews) September 10, 2025
The horror for onlookers was compounded by the lag before armed responders reached the scene. Multiple outlets reported a gap of about a quarter-hour, an eternity when seconds count, as tourists leaned on horns and shouted from their cars. That timeline will likely be a focal point for investigators, along with contingency planning, radio coordination, and whether immobilization tools were available at the enclosure.
By afternoon, condolences poured in for the longtime keeper, and officials promised a top-to-bottom review. For a destination that trades on proximity to wild animals, the tragic reality landed hard: one misstep can erase every layer of safety in an instant. As the investigation proceeds, the park’s challenge is stark, to prove that thrill and safety can coexist, and that such a failure won’t be repeated.
