Final moments of 22-year-old woman's horrific lion death revealed
The horrific final moments of an intern’s life after she was dragged into a zoo enclosure and mauled by a lion have been revealed.
Alex Black, 22, was attacked at the Conservators Centre in North Carolina, southeastern US, in December and an autopsy report has revealed she was bitten on the ankle first by the 14-year-old lion named Matthai.
The lion dragged Ms Black around the enclosure by her neck “for an extended amount of time”.
After attempts to sedate the lion with darts failed, deputies shot the lion eight times, killing the animal.
Ms Black died from multiple deep lacerations to the neck with significant blood loss, according to the report. It lists the probable cause of death as “mauling by animal”.
A Caswell County sheriff’s lieutenant said animal trainer Ashley Watts had separated the lion into a section of an enclosure.
Ms Watts said the gate securing that section was blocked by a large ball and the lion entered the area she, Ms Black and a second intern were cleaning, the report stated.
The attack occurred less than two weeks after Ms Black, a recent college graduate from New Palestine in Indiana, had begun working at the non-profit wildlife facility.
The centre, described recently as a “community zoo” by its executive director, was founded in 1999.
USDA inspections in 2017 and 2018 found no problems at the centre, according to government reports.
A government inspector counted 16 lions among 85 total animals in 2018.
The centre stresses in its statement that as an intern, Ms Black was not responsible for the accident and “all credible evidence” indicates she was “killed almost instantly” and first responders were “conducting a recovery not a rescue”.
The centre reviewed safety policies and procedures and re-trained staff, and said it was confident that when followed those existing policies and procedures were sufficient.
– with Associated Press
