A zoo worker’s hand was savaged by a lion after the man attempted to pet the animal through the bars of its enclosure in order to impress visitors. The video, which was filmed at a zoo in Dakar, Senegal, shows a man known locally as Abdoulaye Wade reaches his arm towards the lion, only for it to grab a hold and nearly rip the worker’s arm from its socket. Scary stuff!
- This was an entirely avoidable “accident.” Footage shared by Buzz Senegal on YouTube prior to the “attack” shows the worker seemingly antagonizing the lion by swiping his fingers through the bar to get the lion’s attention, according to The Sun. It’s no wonder that when the lion got its chance, it clamped on and didn’t plan on letting go.
- The crowd threw rocks at the lion as the worker tried to hit it. Once the lion grabbed hold of the worker’s arm, the audience around the cage began throwing rocks at the animal while the worker repeatedly thwacked it on its head to get it to let go. Finally, it does, and the man walks away laughing as his arm drips with blood.
- Further footage apparently shows the worker being “told off.” While the worker was lucky to escape with his arm still intact, there’s no excuse for antagonizing an animal for your own or anyone else’s entertainment. It’s irresponsible and inhumane and this man was very fortunate that his arm wasn’t ripped right off.
- Bottom line: do not mess with animals. Better yet, don’t hold wild creatures in enclosures for people to come and gawk at. How about that one?
Warning: the video shows some disturbing scenes which some viewers may find hard to watch. Click play at your own risk.
