- A keeper at Beekse Bergen in the Netherlands died after being mauled in a leopard enclosure.
- The attack involved two Persian leopards.
- The keeper worked at the park for nearly 40 years.
- The animals were inside due to bad weather.
- An independent investigation will be launched.
A keeper at a Dutch zoo has died days after being mauled in a leopard enclosure, the safari park confirmed on 27 October 2026. The woman was attacked while caring for two Persian leopards in an indoor facility at the Beekse Bergen park in the south of the Netherlands. It is not clear exactly what happened in the enclosure as there are no cameras.
The animals were inside due to bad weather and staff are usually kept away from the leopards. The keeper sustained serious injuries to her head and neck and underwent emergency surgery but died on 27 October 2026. The keeper started at the Beekse Bergen Safari Park at the age of 17 and worked there for nearly 40 years.
An independent investigation will be launched to establish the circumstances of the incident. The leopards were behaving naturally, a park spokesperson told Omroep Brabant. The park stated the keeper’s passing deeply affects staff and asked for peace and privacy for her loved ones.
The park shared “Her passing also deeply affects us all, and we are intensely grieving with her family, friends, and loved ones.”
