24-year-old killed by lion at Californian sanctuary

According to a Californian coroner, the lion lift a partially closed door and attacked a 24-year old volunteer.

13:48 09 March 2013

A lion from California sanctuary has attacked and killed a 24-year-old woman as she cleaned a larger enclosure. According to reports, Dianna Hanson died almost instantly.

Police shot and killed the animal thinking that Ms. Hanson was still alive. 

 

Fresno County Coroner David Hadden explained: "The lion had been fed, the young woman was cleaning the large enclosure, and the lion was in the small cage.” He added that the cage door was partially open and that the lion opened it.

 

As quoted by The Telegraph, the coroner told Reuters: "The young lady did not suffer because she died almost instantly from a fractured neck.”

 

The lion is a four-year-old male named Couscous. He was raised at Cat Haven. The project was opened in 1993 and became the house for numerous Bengal tigers, jaguars, Siberian lynx, and leopards.