Leopard at Jerusalem Biblical Zoo attacks and kills Israeli zookeeper

A 36-year-old employee at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, died after being attacked by a leopard on Friday, according to Hadassah-University Medical Center.

The zoo has temporarily closed its doors following the tragic incident, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Uriel Nuri, an Israeli man, was discovered unconscious with serious neck injuries. He was rushed in critical condition to Hadassah-University Medical Center in Ein Kerem, where medical teams tried to resuscitate him but were ultimately unsuccessful.

Magen David Adom paramedic Dov Shari, who responded to the emergency, was quoted saying that he found Nuri with severe neck wounds and began immediate life-saving procedures. Additional medical teams soon arrived to assist with CPR before transporting him to the hospital.

According to a preliminary investigation, Nuri was feeding the leopards when he was attacked. He was one of the trainers working with the animals. Other staff members managed to extract him from the enclosure without harming the leopard.

The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo said the incident occurred during a routine feeding session that was part of a behind-the-scenes tour.

A leopard escaped from its designated area into an internal courtyard and attacked the employee. The zoo emphasised that visitors were never in danger, as they were safely separated by glass.

Israel Police confirmed that officers from the Moriah Station in Jerusalem were dispatched to investigate.

The zoo, with police support, is now conducting a full inquiry into how the animal managed to escape its enclosure.

This is not the first such incident at the zoo. Last year, a 45-year-old staff member was seriously injured by a crocodile in a similar attack.