A night shift zookeeper’s attempt to film himself with three African lions ended in his death at Lion Park in Parkent, Uzbekistan, after he entered their enclosure during an unauthorized early morning encounter on December 17, 2024.
F. Iriskulov, 44, had worked the night shift at the private wildlife facility when he made the fatal decision to unlock the lions’ cage at 5:00 a.m., recording his actions on his mobile phone.
Security footage and Iriskulov’s video show him entering the enclosure where three male lions initially remained calm in their corner. Despite their quiet demeanor, the situation deteriorated when he began calling out to them. “The man goads the beasts, repeatedly calling ‘Simba,'” investigators noted. When the lions startled and jumped up, Iriskulov momentarily retreated but continued his approach.
The video captures the lions’ growing agitation as they begin pacing and sniffing around the keeper. “Instead of escaping the cage at this point, the man continues to talk to the lions, saying ‘Simba, be quiet,'” the investigation report states. After approximately two minutes inside the enclosure, one lion attacked, seizing Iriskulov’s arm. While the phone dropped to the ground, its audio continued recording the keeper’s screams and the lion’s growls.
Park staff arriving for the morning shift at 9:00 a.m. discovered the three lions had escaped their enclosure. Inside the cage, they found Iriskulov’s mutilated remains. A specialized response team was immediately mobilized to address the escaped predators. Two lions were successfully tranquilized and recaptured, but authorities were forced to fatally shoot the third when it resisted capture attempts.
Local police and environmental officials launched an investigation after being notified by Lion Park management. “The lions killed him and partially consumed his body,” the park’s official statement confirmed. Investigators determined Iriskulov had breached multiple safety protocols by entering the enclosure alone and during off-hours, reportedly attempting to impress his girlfriend.
Lion Park, which opened in 2019, houses 15 African lions among its collection of exotic animals, including a brown bear and various species of eagles. The facility implemented immediate safety reviews following the incident. The Uzbek Department of Internal Affairs assured nearby residents that “as a result of the measures taken, the lions were returned to a special cage. No other people in the vicinity were harmed. There is currently no danger to the local population.”
The incident adds to a growing list of unauthorized encounters with large cats that have ended fatally at zoos worldwide. In October 2024, chief zookeeper Leokadia Perevalova was killed by lions at the Taigan Safari Park in Crimea, Russia, after a door between enclosures was left unlocked. “The human factor of forgetfulness played a role,” stated park owner Oleg Zubkov. The facility, one of Europe’s largest lion breeding grounds, houses approximately 60 predators.
In September 2024, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Wildlife Park in Abeokuta, Nigeria, zookeeper Babaji Daule, 35, was mauled to death after taking guests to see a lion feeding after hours. Park management reported that Daule “carelessly neglected to secure the locks and barricade the lion’s enclosure before approaching the cage to feed the animal.”
Less than a year earlier, another Nigerian zookeeper, Olabode Olawuyi, was killed by a lion at the Obafemi Awolowo University. The string of incidents has increased scrutiny of safety protocols and unauthorized access to dangerous animals in zoos across multiple countries.
