YANCEYVILLE, NC (RNN) - One person is dead after being attacked by a lion Sunday afternoon at North Carolina’s Conservators Center.
According to WNCN, the lion escaped a locked area of an enclosure as an animal keeper performed routine cleaning. The victim was identified as 22-year-old Alexandra Black, an intern at the center.
Black was passionate about the industry and “wanted to spend a lifetime around these animals,” according to Mindy Stinner, executive director and co-founder of the center.
The lion was later killed by gunfire, so officials could retrieve Black’s body.
The Conservators Center, located in Caswell County, will be closed until further notice. It released the following statement to local media:
The Conservators Center is devastated by the loss of a human life today. While a husbandry team led by a professionally trained animal keeper was carrying out a routine enclosure cleaning, one of the lions somehow left a locked space and entered the space the humans were in and quickly killed one person. It is unclear at this time how the lion left the locked enclosure. The lion was shot and killed to allow Caswell County personnel to retrieve the worker. This is an ongoing investigation, we have no further details at this time, and the family has not yet been notified. We will offer more information as we know more. The Conservators Center will be closed until further notice.
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