A zoo worker at Park Hann in Dakar, Senegal, learned not to pet the lions when the ferocious animal attacked him through the bars of his enclosure. The zoo worker wanted to impress the paying guests at the zoo, so he reached his hand through the bars to touch the male lion. The creature reacts differently than the worker suspected and bites his hand.
Footage shows the ensuing fight between the lion and the worker as the man struggles to free his hand from the predator’s mouth before it gets devoured. The lion does not seem eager to return the zookeeper’s hand – or the arm it is attached to – and fights with the man to retain it. Nevertheless, the worker fights the lion, punching it again in the face and again in the head, until the king of the jungle finally releases it.
Visitors are heard freaking out in the background of the video. While they all came to the zoo to be entertained, none expected to witness a lion attack one of the workers. The guests are heard shouting for the lion to let go of the guy’s hand while others lob rocks and stones at the lion in an attempt to get it to let go.
The lion does release the man’s hand after he punches the big cat in the head with his free arm.
As the video comes to a conclusion, the man still has his hand attached to his arm. However, it is dripping with blood from the open wounds caused by the lion attack.
Reports from Senegal indicate that the victim of the lion attack was named Abdoulaye Wade. He earns his living by working at the zoo. Previous videos show him provoking the lion and gearing it up before it attacks him.
Wade is believed to have crossed the barrier to get closer to the lion in an attempt to impress the paying guests at the zoo. However, the “dangerous game of cat and mouse” that followed put his life – not to mention his limbs – in the way of danger.
When the lion grabbed the man’s hand, it was clear that the beast had the upper hand. After the battle between the caged lion and the Senegalese zoo worker, the man was able to pull his hand free – although it did seem severely injured.
Views of the shocking lion attack shared their thoughts and reactions in the comment section of the respective Daily Mail article.
“Wild animals should never be kept in cages. It is so cruel.”
“The animal isn’t a pet. it did what its instincts told it to.”
“Well what did you think would happen? Poor lion. Fire that man.”
“Absolute total clown. He got what he deserved and will not try this again. He should have some respect for these animals. They can be very dangerous if you treat them badly.”
“Even if you see the lion every day at work and you think it knows you, it doesn’t.”
What do you think about the encounter? Was the man at fault?