Blood-chilling stories of animal attacks in zoos around the world (28 photos + 8 videos)

16 April 2025

Every year, millions of wildlife lovers visit zoos to see their favorite animals. However, glass and metal fences cannot always restrain the animals' temperament, and sometimes the guests themselves sneak into the enclosures. These tragic incidents once again remind us that it is necessary to follow the established rules.

A tiger mauled a man in front of his family

In 2017, a tiger killed a visitor at Yongor Wildlife Park in Ningbo, China. The tiger dragged the man under a tree and sank its teeth into his neck. Two other big cats watched, waiting.

It took the zoo staff about an hour to free the man from the tiger's grip. The animals were driven away with firecrackers and a water cannon. The victim was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

It remains unclear how and why the man, who came to the park with his wife and child, ended up in the enclosure with the predators.

Hippopotamus Attacks Caretaker

In September 2023, a hippopotamus attacked a caretaker at the Changsha Zoo in China's Hunan Province. The caretaker had entered the indoor enclosure to feed the animals. At that moment, the giants began to fight. Escaping mortal danger, the man ran, but slipped. The animal opened its mouth threateningly over the man, but was distracted for a second. The caretaker managed to arm himself with a stick and escape.

Bear Drags Man Like Rag Doll

In November 2009, a 25-year-old man jumped into an enclosure at the Bern Bear Park in Switzerland. A 4-year-old brown bear named Finn grabbed the intruder and dragged him across the enclosure. The police shot the bear, and the visitor miraculously survived with non-life-threatening injuries. The man, it later turned out, suffers from a mental disorder.

Bern veterinarians had to fight for the life of a wounded bear.

Panda attacks zoo employee

Last September, a giant panda named Ding Ding attacked a zoo employee at the Chongqing Zoo. The woman wanted to leave the enclosure, but the panda blocked the door. Then it rushed after the worker, knocked her down and started biting her. The keeper managed to break free and run away.

The zoo management promised to take measures to ensure that such an incident does not happen again.

Naked Man Jumps Into Lion Enclosure

In 2016, 20-year-old Franco Luis Ferrada Roman stripped naked and entered the lion enclosure at a Chilean zoo. Once inside, two lions attacked him.

According to the zoo director, two African lions were shot to save the man because there were no fast-acting tranquilizers available at the time.

The victim was taken to hospital with serious injuries. A suicide note was found in his belongings. Franco had spoken of the approaching end of the world, which was the reason for his attempt to commit suicide.

One of the witnesses, Cynthia Vasquez, told Chilean radio station Bio Bio that security guards reacted too late. According to her, the animals did not attack the man right away, and he also "shouted something about Jesus."

"Kung Fu Pandas" vs. Zookeeper

Last April, two pandas attacked a zookeeper at the Chongqing Zoo.

The footage shows the animals approaching the woman holding treats. One bites her ankles, and the other knocks her to the ground. The pandas begin to hit the zookeeper on the head. Then a colleague comes to the rescue.

The video ends with both workers trying to escape, and the panda, apparently young, giving chase.

The zoo employee reportedly suffered only minor injuries.

Crocodile Bites Trainer's Head

The footage from 2017 shows a man performing at a famous crocodile show on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand. The crocodile remains completely still while the trainer performs his act with two wooden sticks. The man then puts his head in its mouth, but at that moment the predator closes its jaws and begins to shake the victim. A few seconds later the crocodile let go of the man and dived into the water. The trainer remained lying on the ground, numb from the injuries he had received.

Tiger Kills Safari Park Visitor

In 2016, a tragedy occurred at the Badaling Safari Park in China. A woman, ignoring warnings, got out of her car and was killed instantly.

There were four people in the car - a young girl, an older woman, a child and a man. An argument broke out between the man and the girl, and the girl ran out of the car. A relative followed her, and immediately fell victim to the Amur tiger. The man rushed to help.

Park staff drove the animal away, but the woman was already dead and the girl was injured.

The park covers an area of 6,000 acres and can be explored by car, either independently or with a guide. However, visitors are strictly prohibited from leaving their vehicles.

Angry Rhino Overturns Car in Safari Park

In 2019, a rhino attacked a caretaker's car at the Serengeti Safari Park in Hodenhagen, Germany. The 30-year-old animal, named Kusini, slammed his horn and body into the car, then flipped it three times.

The woman escaped with only a fright and bruises. It's unclear what enraged the rhino, who had been living in the park for a year and a half at the time and was still getting used to his new surroundings.

Killer whale scalps SeaWorld instructor in front of spectators

In 2021, a killer whale named Tilikum grabbed instructor Dawn Brancheau by the hair and began to maul her at SeaWorld.

Employees at a popular show in Florida, USA, desperately tried to calm the killer whale while guests were escorted out of the arena, but by the time the ambulance arrived, the 40-year-old woman was already dead.

The deceased had worked with the killer whale for 16 years.

Bear attacks temple visitor

36-year-old Nyaphum Promrati and his friends arrived at the temple in Phetchabun Province, Thailand, where the boars and a bear. When the man began feeding the bear rice, it dragged him into the enclosure and attacked. The victim's friends beat the predator with sticks and poured cold water on him, but to no avail. The bear bit Promrati for another minute, and he managed to tear a piece of flesh out of his armpit before a fearless man with a stick appeared.

The bloody Thai was taken to the hospital, where he spent some time.

Woman Jumps into Polar Bear Enclosure at Berlin Zoo

A strange incident occurred at the Berlin Zoo in the spring of 2009.

It was time for feeding the polar bears, and a huge crowd had gathered to see the spectacle. However, the predators are so dangerous that even the caretakers do not enter their territory at this time. But the 32-year-old woman passed the fence and jumped into the icy water.

While most of the bears were busy eating, one of them noticed the guest and headed towards her. He pounced on her, biting her neck.

Fortunately, before the tragedy occurred, the German woman began frantically trying to get out of the enclosure. At the wall that separates the spectators from the bears, she was met by zookeepers. They threw her life preservers and meat to the bears and asked her to leave the woman alone.