The St. Petersburg Times  

Issue #1175 (41), Tuesday, June 6, 2006

NEWS

Ïåðåâåñòè íà ðóññêèé Ïåðåâåñòè íà ðóññêèé Print this article Print this article

Lion Kills Man in Kiev

Combined Reports

KIEV — A man shouting that God would keep him safe was mauled to death by a lioness in the Kiev Zoo after he crept into an enclosure, a zoo official said Monday.

“The man shouted ‘God will save me, if he exists,’ lowered himself by a rope into the enclosure, took his shoes off and went up to the lions,” the official said.

“A lioness went straight for him, knocked him down and severed his carotid artery.”

Police identified the man as a 45-year-old ethnic Azeri with Ukrainian citizenship.

Four lions live in the enclosure.

The incident, on Sunday evening when the zoo was packed with visitors, was the first of its kind at the attraction. Lions and tigers are kept in an “animal island” protected by thick concrete blocks.

Kiev Zoo, one of the biggest in the former Soviet Union, is home to more than 2,000 animals, birds and reptiles and receives about 280,000 visitors every year.

(Reuters, SPT)

More stories by this section:

Kiosks to Close to Battle Piracy | Web Site Sets Music Industry on Edge | Firing Deals a Powerful Blow to the ‘Siloviki’ Clan | Presidential Envoy Kozak Is Tipped to Take Ustinov’s Job | The Unpredictable Rise and Fall of a Chief Prosecutor

Something to say? Write to the Opinion Page Editor. Click to open the form.

E-mail or online form:

If you are willing for your comment to be published as a letter to the editor, please supply your first name, last name and the city and country where you live.

Your email:

Little about you:

SUBMIT OPINION


Or take part in the discussion below.


© Copyright The St. Petersburg Times 1993 - 2010