Three lions escaped their enclosure and killed a 44-year-old caretaker at Lion Park in Krasnogorsk, Parkent district, Tashkent region.

Podrobno.uz says the animals escaped through an unlocked door at around 5 a.m. and attacked the caretaker as he tried to return them to their enclosure.

Zoo staff discovered the incident at 9 a.m. Two lions were tranquilized and recaptured, while a third was shot by a hunter.

The case is being investigated under labor safety violation laws.

Lion Park, Uzbekistan's first interactive zoo, has been operational since May 2019 and is home to ten lions and five lion cubs, a bear, an eagle, and other animals.