In preparing to feed the Sri Lankan panthers at a zoo, a zookeeper entered the animal building and was attacked by the male panther. The employee fled for protection and was exiting the building when the animal was able to grab him by the ear. He alerted his co-workers, who came to the rescue as a group of three in an enclosed vehicle; a 4th employee notified first responders and zoo managers. The zookeepers tried frightening the animal so it would release its hold. When the panther eased his clutch on the victim, the co-workers successfully secured his release by injuring the panther. Two zookeepers rescued the victim, while the 3rd pursued the animal from a distance through the park paths where it had escaped. The zoo manager killed the panther within a few minutes of the attack; at the time, the zoo was closed to the public for annual refurbishing. The incident had no other consequences (since the public was not circulating along the paths).

Rescue and alert procedure in the event of a dangerous animal escape had been activated. First responders were alerted. The zookeeper failed to respect safety procedures: one of the cage doors was improperly closed on the morning following cage cleaning; he had neglected to verify all locks were closed before leaving the building; then a failure to verify correct cage locking and the animal’s absence in the entrance lock between the building’s outer door and the cages prior to entering the building that evening.

The park director introduced several remedial measures: modification of the building layout, with creation of a much larger entrance lock to prevent an animal from escaping onto the zoo’s pedestrian paths should a similar situation arise; reconstruction of the black panthers’ building; installation of a light indicator for faulty cage door locking; additional training and safety procedure reminders provided to all zookeeper staff; and improved personnel supervision.