Lions Attack Horrified Zookeeper in New Zealand

A keeper at the Wellington Zoo in New Zealand suffered massive injuries after being attacked by hungry lions.

Bob Bennett had been a keeper at the zoo for 19 years, but had never been hurt before. Nobody expected young lions at the Wellington Zoo to attack their feeder of 2 years, but apparently their instincts kicked in.

He was mauled by the two lions after they escaped from their holding pen. Zoos these days are outfitted with special feeding areas that the lions cannot enter until the feeder is safe on the other side of the fence. The system doesn't work, however, if someone forgets the door open.

After lions plunge at his red bucket of food, Bob trips and is instantly attacked. Terrified colleagues weren't equipped with a tranquilizer gun and had to try and distract the animals in order to perform a rescue operation.

They succeeded and Bob was immediately taken to the hospital where he was forced to undergo surgery on his neck and face.

“I didn't want to die,” Bob said, and fortunately, he didn't.