A visitor at the Zag zoo witnessed a lion killing a lioness. Approximately 15 people were present near the enclosure, and the animals' behaviour was described as aggressively, with no indication of play. The lion attacked the lioness, who was lying by the lion rock, and did not move, seizing her by the neck and killing her.
The woman approached a zoo employee asking why the lions were not being hosed down. The employee responded that she could water the animals herself. The woman distracted the children, and after realising the lioness was dead, she quickly led them away from the enclosure while they were in the zoo at the time of the incident.
The name of the woman and the names of the other women she spoke to are known to the veterinary inspector. The women were asked not to go public with their accounts to avoid being targeted by comments on social media. A petition has been launched calling for the dismissal of Ivan Cizel, the director of the zoo.
Ivan Cizel worked as a curator for reptiles, fish and amphibians at the zoo for 14 years before becoming director. The incident has attracted significant public attention and prompted calls for the institution's leadership to be held accountable for how the situation with the aggressive animal behaviour was handled on the ground.
