Zookeeper Mauled and Eaten Alive by Lions in Front of Tourists at Bangkok Safari Park

Horrified tourists watched as a pack of lions ate a zookeeper alive in Thailand

A veteran zookeeper was mauled and eaten alive by lions in front of horrified tourists at Safari World in Bangkok, Thailand, after stepping out of his vehicle inside the open enclosure.

The victim, identified as 59-year-old Jian Rangkasamee, was attacked early Wednesday while attempting to clear trash from the enclosure floor. Witnesses said the lions quickly pounced, dragging him to the ground and tearing through his flesh as panicked visitors screamed in shock.

Jian Rangkasamee, 59, was attacked by the big cats after getting out of his jeep to pick up trash

Professor Tavatchai Kanchanarin, a doctor who witnessed the incident, said the first lion approached Rangkasamee from about 30 feet away before grabbing him from behind. “Three or four other lions then joined in biting the zookeeper,” he explained, adding that at first he thought the animals were only playing with him before realizing the severity of the attack.

Fellow zookeepers tried to intervene by blaring car horns in an attempt to scare the lions away, but the efforts failed. By the time armed staff managed to drive the animals off, Rangkasamee had been fatally mauled. Reports said the lions had chewed through his body until bones were exposed, leaving him in a pool of blood.

Tourists filmed the lions bite into Rangkasamee’s flesh to the bone

Medical staff confirmed the zookeeper sustained multiple broken bones and that most of his flesh was destroyed or missing. The park was immediately shut down while officials considered euthanizing the lions involved in the attack.

Rangkasamee had over 30 years of experience working with animals and had been employed at the Bangkok zoo since 2019. Park employees noted that strict rules prohibit both visitors and staff from leaving their vehicles inside predator enclosures, a regulation designed to prevent exactly such tragedies.

Rangkasamee had worked with animals for 30 years

Thailand’s Department of National Parks, which oversees the nation’s zoos, announced it had dispatched investigators to the park to determine how the deadly breach of safety occurred. The park’s management has not yet issued a public statement.