MÉRIDA, VENEZUELA – JANUARY 29, 2025 José Leopoldo Zambrano Dávila, 60, who works as a security guard at the Chorros de Milla Zoo, put his hand in the cage of the lion couple. Apparently he was drunk and wanted to pet the lion. The wild animals named Caribay and Karú reacted instinctively by attacking. They tore off a chunk of his arm.
- Chorros de Milla Zoo
- The lion 1
- The lion 2
When his associates saw this, they managed to stop the attack, but it was too late. José was taken to the Hospital Universitario de Los Andes with serious injuries, where doctors gave him the bad news – his arm had to be amputated.
His co-workers testified that José arrived at work very drunk. They advised him to get some sleep, but he disobeyed them and went to make his regular rounds. To get to the lion’s cage, he had to climb over another security fence.