Escaped lion shot dead in Turkey after attacking worker
The lion, reportedly named Zeus, escaped his enclosure at the Land of Lions animal theme park in Manavgat, about 60km west of Antalya in the early hours, the governor said.
According to BirGun newspaper, the lion then attacked Suleiman Kir, an agricultural worker, who was asleep in a pistachio field with his wife.
Mr Kir then tussled with the lion before it ran off. He was injured and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
"We were covered with blankets to protect ourselves from mosquitoes and when the prayer call sounded, I tried to stand up but I couldn't," he said.
"Suddenly I felt something touch my left foot and when I eventually managed to get up, I saw it was something huge – I thought it was a dog."
In a video posted online, he described the moments wrestling with the lion.
"We called for help but there was no one around. As the lion was biting my calf and my neck, I grabbed him around the neck and began to squeeze and he backed off. At that moment, the security forces came," he said. "If I had not been strong, I wouldn't be here right now."
Antalya's governor said the lion had been tracked down and shot dead.
"It was not possible to catch the escaped lion alive because it posed a danger to people and the environment so it was shot," he said, indicating that an investigation had been opened into the incident.
BirGun said there were about 30 big cats at the Land of Lions.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Escaped lion shot dead in Turkey after attacking worker
A lion which escaped from a theme park near the Turkish resort of Antalya was shot dead on Sunday after attacking a man, the local governor and media reports said. The lion, reportedly named Zeus, escaped his enclosure at the Land of Lions animal theme park in Manavgat, about 60km west of Antalya in the early hours, the governor said. According to BirGun newspaper, the lion then attacked Suleiman Kir, an agricultural worker, who was asleep in a pistachio field with his wife. Mr Kir then tussled with the lion before it ran off. He was injured and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. "We were covered with blankets to protect ourselves from mosquitoes and when the prayer call sounded, I tried to stand up but I couldn't," he said. "Suddenly I felt something touch my left foot and when I eventually managed to get up, I saw it was something huge – I thought it was a dog." In a video posted online, he described the moments wrestling with the lion. "We called for help but there was no one around. As the lion was biting my calf and my neck, I grabbed him around the neck and began to squeeze and he backed off. At that moment, the security forces came," he said. "If I had not been strong, I wouldn't be here right now." Antalya's governor said the lion had been tracked down and shot dead. "It was not possible to catch the escaped lion alive because it posed a danger to people and the environment so it was shot," he said, indicating that an investigation had been opened into the incident. BirGun said there were about 30 big cats at the Land of Lions.
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Twelve Turkish soldiers die from methane gas exposure during cave search in Iraq
Turkey's Defence Ministry on Monday said 12 soldiers had died after being exposed to methane gas during a search operation in caves in the Kurdish region of Iraq. The ministry said the incident had taken place on Sunday inside a cave in Duhok during a mission to retrieve the remains of a Turkish soldier killed during a military operation against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). 'Four other of our heroic comrades in arms, affected by methane gas, have died … bringing the total number of victims to 12,' the ministry said on X, raising an earlier toll. It did not provide further details on the origin of the methane gas in the caves. The soldier whose body the troops were searching for had been shot dead by Kurdish fighters in May 2022, the ministry said. Turkey was waging Operation Claw Lock at that time, attacking PKK positions in northern Duhok. The incident comes amid renewed peace efforts and continuing talks aimed at ending the conflict between Turkey and the PKK. The militant group has agreed to end its decades-long armed struggle and to disarm. The news of the deaths started to emerge on Sunday as a delegation from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party was visiting jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. The party has been mediating the negotiations between the group and Ankara. The DEM Party offered condolences over the deaths of the soldiers and said Ocalan had stated he was 'deeply concerned' by the incident. The PKK was founded by Ocalan in 1978 and has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state for four decades, with about 40,000 killed on both sides. The group is designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the EU, something it challenges.
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Gulf Today
Escaped lion shot dead in Turkey after attacking worker
A lion which escaped from a theme park near the Turkish resort of Antalya was shot dead on Sunday after attacking a man, the local governor and media reports said. The lion, reportedly named Zeus, escaped his enclosure at the Land of Lions animal theme park in Manavgat, some 60 kilometres west of Antalya in the early hours of the morning, the local governor said in a statement. According to BirGun newspaper, the lion then attacked an agricultural worker called Suleiman Kir who was asleep in a pistachio field with his wife. Kir then tussled with the lion before it ran off. He was injured but not badly and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. "We were covered with blankets to protect ourselves from mosquitoes and when the prayer call sounded, I tried to stand up but I couldn't," he told the newspaper. "Suddenly I felt something touch my left foot and when I eventually managed to get up, I saw it was something huge -- I thought it was a dog." In a video posted online, he described the moments wrestling with the lion. "We called for help but there was no-one around. As the lion was biting my calf and my neck, I grabbed him around the neck and began to squeeze, and he backed off. At that moment, the security forces came," he said. "If I had not been strong, I wouldn't be here right now." Antalya's governor said in a statement that the lion had been tracked down and shot dead. "It was not possible to catch the escaped lion alive because it posed a danger to people and the environment so it was shot," he said, indicating that an investigation had been opened into the incident. BirGun newspaper said there were around 30 big cats at the Land of Lions. Agence France-Presse
