At the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), a heartbreaking event occurred when Olabode Olawuyi, a dedicated zookeeper with nearly a decade of experience, fell victim to a fatal lion attack during his routine duties.According to reports from the BBC, Olawuyi was attacked by a male lion while carrying out a feeding session. Despite efforts from his colleagues to intervene, the lion inflicted fatal wounds on Olawuyi before any assistance could reach him. The university promptly euthanized the lion involved, as stated in an official statement.- But This workers takes risk wtfMeanwhile some takes precautionary measures to others. pic.twitter.com/PEco4F3os6— _emmywhitedr (@emmaehijie) February 20, 2024University spokesperson Abiodun Olarewaju revealed that Olawuyi, a veterinary technologist, had nurtured the lions since their birth on campus approximately nine years ago.In response to the tragedy, the universitys vice-chancellor, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, ordered a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack to prevent similar incidents in the future.Omoooo This is gruesome!Lion will always be Lion.RIP to the OAU deceased staff.In his case, it might be normal routine without minding the precautions or the Cage/Locks are bad. Cos things are always bad in Nigeria. No maintenance culture. pic.twitter.com/0ULRs5ytn0— _emmywhitedr (@emmaehijie) February 20, 2024Attributing cause to human error Abbas Akinremi, leader of the students union, attributed the incident to human error. He said that Olawuyi had forgotten to secure the enclosure after feeding the lions. Meanwhile, Akinremi praised Olawuyis character as well. Social media users shared distressing images of the incident and extended condolences to Olawuyis family.The lion that killed a staff of Obafemi Awolowo University, lle- lfe, Nigeria yesterday being neutralised pic.twitter.com/n5b2eHRB8M— Green Savannah Diplomatic Cable (@savannah_cable) February 20, 2024Similar incident in India A similar incident occurred in India, where a man named Prahlad Gujjar lost his life to a lion attack at a zoo in Tirupati. Gujjar entered an unauthorized area of the Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park, disregarding warnings from caretakers, leading to a tragic outcome.
